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NADAGE DOREE 







/ 

> Gelt A, 




The Czar and the Cantatrke* 


A NOVEL. 


if 


NADAGE DOREE. 

_UULgai8S7 

NEW YORK ! ' 

HU RST & COMPANY, 

PUBLISHE.R^. 







Copyright, 1897, 

BY 

NADAGE DOREE. 


All Rights Reserved, 


V 


TO 

MY DARLING MOTHER (Seligj: 

whose unselfish, pure and high ideal of life, has 
been the beacon light which has safely guided me 
past the innumerable temptations, which beset a 
young girl in her lonely battle with the world. 

In reverc7it memory^ this humble effort 

IFs ©ebfcateb, 


by the Author. 









I 


GELTA, 

OR, 

The Czar and the Cantatrice. 


CHAPTER L 

It was a cold, rainy day towatds the end of 
January, and Gelta Dechon was loitering through 
the spacious rooms of the British Museum with 
that listlessness, with which one is apt to saunter 
about a museum on a dull, rainy day. Sometimes 
lolling over the glass cases of coins, sometimes 
admiring an etruscan vase, sometimes studying 
the sarcophagus of an Egyptian mummy, and 
sometimes trying to comprehend the allegorical 
paintings on the lofty ceilings. 

Whilst she was gazing about in this idle way, 
her attention was attracted to a distant door at 
the end of the room, though she had many times 
visited the room before, she had never ob- 
served it. The door was closed, but every now 
and then would open, and some solitary being 
would steal forth and instantly it would close 
again. There was an air of mystery about this, 
that piqued her languid curiosity, and she deter- 


8 


gelta: OB, 


mined to attempt tlie passage of that strait, and 
to explore the unknown regions beyond. She 
tried to open the door but found it locked ; she 
knocked, but no response. Then a monotonous 
voice reached her saying, the bell to the right 
Madam ! ” She turned towards the Egyptian 
mummies from whence the sound seemed to come, 
thinking, can this be a remnant of Cleopatra’s 
voice? and then she for the first time that after- 
noon, perceived the attendant who was drowsily 
sitting between two coffined mummies ; and who 
was now with half-awakened gestures trying to 
indicate the bell to the right. 

Gelta saw it and thanked him; upon pulling the 
bell the door yielded to her hand with that facil- 
ity with which the portals of enchanted castles 
yield to the adventurous knight errant. 

She found herself in a narrow short passage, 
and was confronted by an attendant who, (indicat- 
ing a register to the left which was on a high 
desk) said “ please sign your full name and ad- 
dress.” 

After conforming with the rule, she entered the 
only apartment leading from the passage. She 
found herself in a small square room whose walls 
were surrounded with glass cases ; about the 
room were placed long stands, which also upheld 
glass cases containing precious gems and some 
of the finest cut cameos. A hushed stillness 
reigned through this apartment, excepting as the 
guard at the entrance, after having thoroughly 


The C2AR AND THE CANTATRICE, 


9 


Scrutinized the new-comer, shifted his position of 
drowsy watchfulness. While she was standing 
before the famous Portland Vase, drinking in its 
beauties, her attention was, for one brief moment, 
attracted to a person who had just entered the 
room, and who seemed to be gazing at her. He 
was about twenty-four years of age, medium 
height, and had a style of countenance between 
the Eioman and the Greek — a head that would have 
pleased a painter — his gray-blue eyes, though 
cold ill expression, had the gleam of a poetical 
soul. There was a dignity in his whole appear- 
ance that indicated a being of a different order 
from the bustling race around him ; he was a 
scion of the Imperial Russian family, the Grand 
Duke Ivan Demetrius. 

Gelta, after a hurried glance at the new-comer 
so as to assure herself it was not an acquaintance 
whose attention she had attracted, continued 
deeply interested in the different relics. 

Amid the gloom and travail of existence, sud- 
denly to behold a beautiful being, and as in- 
stantaneously to feel an overwhelming conviction 
that with that fair form forever our destiny must 
be entwined ; that there is no more joy but m her 
joy ; that in her sighs of love, in her smile of 
fondness, hereafter is all bliss ; to be willing to 
violate in her favor every duty of society ; this is 
to be a lover, and this is real love ! Yes, it was 
this mighty passion that now raged for the first 
time in the heart of Demetrius, as pale and trem- 


10 


gelta: ok, 


bling he finally withdrew from the apartment. He 
could not realize, at the time, the character of the 
feeling, which had so suddenly taken hold of him ; 
he simply felt that he had been for the first time 
fascinated by a beautiful woman, and that he 
would endeavor to become acquainted with her. 
He lingered in the outer room with his eyes 
rivetted on the door to watch this lovely creature’s 
exit ; he stood for awhile, and thought that hours 
must have elapsed, so long did her coming seem 
to him. He had waited about twenty minutes, 
when the door slowly opened, and Gelta sauntered 
into the outer room. 

At first she did not perceive him, and she con- 
tinued to gaze at the many curios. The autograph 
letters from different sovereigns, the Greek, Cop- 
tic, and Latin, papyri charters, and seals. Burns* 
love letters fascinated her, a little further on she 
paused to examine a warrior’s head painted nearly 
three thousand years ago, a supposed portrait of 
the mummy, upon the lid of whose coffin it was ; 
when she became aware that the gentleman she 
had seen in the treasure room was standing near 
and observing her. She moved to go, he politely 
raised his hat and said : 

“I beg your pardon, but have you any idea how 
they managed to make these portraits in olden 
times, for I see by its date that this one is nearly 
three thousand years old.” 

She looked scrutinizingly at him for a moment, 
to see whether his question had been simply a 


The czab and the Cantathice. 


11 


pretext to speak to her, but he appeared so earn- 
est, as he continued — 

“I have been standing here for some time, 
puzzling my brain about it, but there seems to be 
ho one about here who could enlighten a traveler 
since the guard,” indicating the drooping figure 
between the two coflSns, ‘‘ has soared away into 
dreamland.” 

Gelta faintly smiled as her eyes followed his 
gesture toward the unconscious guard. . 

‘‘ Yes,” she replied, I believe these portraits 
are considered some of the most valuable of 
the museum’s collection of curios. They are sup- 
posed to have been painted with a mixture com- 
posed of honey and wax, for paint had not been 
discovered in those ancient days. They have 
marvellously withstood time’s ravages for they 
look as bright to-day, and their facial expressions 
are as distinct, as if it were but three years in- 
stead of three thousand years since these were 
painted.” 

He bowed politely and with a low, soft voice he 
said : I am under deep obligations to you. 

Madam, since your explanation has enhanced 
their artistic value in my estimation.” 

“ Pray don’t speak of it,” she continued, one 
is apt to attach more interest to any object, the . 
moment we can trace its origin.” 

“ Quite so,” he interposed. 

“ Have you noticed this portrait,” she continued 
^moving towards another Mummy ; ‘‘it is the like- 


gelta: or, 


12 

ness of a young girl, and judging from the features, 
she must have been very beautiful.” 

‘‘ Yes,” he replied, “ but I prefer the beauty of 
the 19th century, there is a subtile refinement 
which permeates the young girl of to-day, which 
was totally unknown in olden times.” 

Gelta looked up into his face, as she said : “ I 
perceive you have some odd ideas, for I have 
heard many people, and some very bright ones, 
bemoan the fact of the present period’s lack of 
chivalry in men, and refinement in women, when 
compared with the grace of all those who lived 
in the ancient days of song and knighterrantry.” 

‘‘That is a grave error,” he said seriously, 
“ people should never look backwards, progress 
means forward.” 

“ On the contrary, I firmly believe in looking 
backwards,” she answered, “ for one can review 
the faults and mistakes that have been committed 
in the past by people with the best of intentions, 
and draw a profitable example for the future. 
For instance, I have been looking back,” she said 
with a smile, “ at the last half hour and my pru- 
dent nature has cause to reproach me for ex- 
changing ideas with a stranger, to whom I have 
not even been introduced.” 

“I beg your pardon,” he answered, thrusting 
his hand in his breast pocket as if searcliing for 
a visiting card which he did not find, “ my name 
is Count Varicoff, and yours ? ” he slowly inquired. 

“ Excuse me,” she quickly replied, somewhat 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


13 


dismayed at the turn the conversation had sud- 
denly taken, “you have misconstrued my last 
remark ! I did not expect you to introduce your- 
self, nor do I intend to follow your example ; 
we are total strangers, we have accidentally, 
through not wishing to appear discourteous, ex- 
changed a few remarks concerning the exhibits 
in this public building, 3Iais ce reste la ! ” 

“ Ah ! ” he said, “ I felt positive you were 
French, although your English is so perfect! ” 

Gelta smiled and replied, “No, I am not 
French!” 

“ Well, then with those wonderful dark eyes of 
yours you must belong to Spain.” 

She archly shook her head in the negative. 

“ Well, then, Italian.” 

“ No,” she continued, “I am not Italian.” 

He looked at her thoroughly puzzled ; for she 
had answered hi>n with a perfect accent in the 
different languages with which he had associated 
her. “ Certainly not German ? ” he queried. 
“ Nein mein Herr ; ” she replied with a delicious, 
German accent. 

“Well, you have mystified me,” he slowly said, 
as they were seating themselves on a bench, facing 
a huge sarcophagus which contained beneath a 
glass case, the whitened skeleton of a man. 

Gelta turned towards the Count remarking. 

Look at this naked cage of bone, 

From which the winged soni has long since flown ! 

It has a special fascination for me, I sat JierQ 


14 


gelta: or, 


for several hours last week, trying to picture to 
myself whether it was a ‘good or a bad man, 
who, during his brief existence, inhabited that 
worm eaten frame ! ’ 

“ You seem to picture life in a very gloomy 
aspect,” he replied ; “ one would scarcely expect 
such a severe view from so brilliant and beautiful 
a young girl.” “ Beautiful or not,” she answered, 
“ what does it all amount to ? ” and lifting to his, 
her face, which now looked lovely from the in- 
ward agitation, she said, “Beauty, youth, wealth, 
what does it all amount to in the end ? there ! ” 
pointing to the skeleton, “ merely nothing. Hence 
the absurdity of thinking oneself better than 
one’s neighbor. If one is really superior, then 
it becomes one’s duty to exercise that superiority 
with a gentle kindness, so that our neighbors may 
be influenced for better, by its gentle contact. 
God did not endow some of us with better 
qualities in order that we should hoard them, or 
selflshly hide them, or stand haughtily aloof from 
our weaker brothers ; no, God, when He endowed 
some of us with the stronger qualities of virtue, 
did so solely that we should mingle with those 
less virtuous, that they may be lifted up, puri- 
fied, by our contact.” 

He contemplated this young girl in silent 
wonder, and Gelta unconsciously continued as if 
she were speaking to a dear old friend. “Have 
you. seen the poor in the East end of London?” 
ghe asked. “No/’ lie replied, “I have bee^ here 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


15 


only a few days.” ‘‘Well, since my arrival two 
weeks ago,” slie continued, “ I have visited that 
part twice ; the poverty and misery are simply 
appaling, especially the wretched condition of the 
poor Russian emigrant Jews.” He started im- 
perceptibly. “ They are driven from the land of 
their birth,” she went on, “ the land of their youth 
and home associates ; tossed upon this island 
without money, without friends, without even 
being capable of speaking a word of the language, 
and their personal appearance is so deplorable, 
rendered so, forcibly, through lack of the com- 
mon necessities during their wanderings, that the 
few Gentiles who approach them become imme- 
diately prejudiced at their dirty appearance.” 

“ You are filled,” he interposed, “ with a deep 
compassionate- pity for the Jews, which I feel 
they ill deserve.” 

“ But who,” she replied with a sigh, “ can con- 
template the present condition of the Russian Jews, 
without being filled with pity and compassion, 
at their sufferings, and courageous struggles.” 
Then turning her face fully towards him, she 
continued, “ Let us look at these poor persecuted 
people for a brief moment with an unprejudiced 
eye. They are religious. They are moral. They 
have retained many wonderful and noble virtues. 
They bear the traces of the Divine education, as 
well as the traces of deteriorating oppression, for 
the Jewish nation forms a wonderful unity. Other 
;iations are formed in process of time, through 


16 


gelta: or, 


the amalgamation of different tribes and races. 
They may be cognate tribes, still they are differ- 
ent tribes that at first lived together ; and after- 
wards coalesced, and in course of time became a 
united nation. But Israel, consists of the de- 
scendant’s of twelve brothers. They are one 
family. They are not an aggregate of different 
tribes. They are the descendants of the twelve 
sous of Jacob, who was the son of the only one 
— Isaac — who was the son of Abraham. They 
are all hewn out of one rock ; one family, 9ne 
brotherhood, one nation, is this Israel.” 

Count Varicoff listened silently with bowed 
head, and she continued, “Israel is to exist as a 
nation — to the very end. They may be persecuted, 
they may be put to death in many places, every 
kind of cruelty may be practiced against them. 
People may try to diminish their population or 
their infiuence as they did in Pharaoh’s time. 
They may be hunted and chased from one country 
to another, as was the case in the middle ages ; 
or they may be wealthy and honored, influential 
and cultured, they may assimilate themselves with 
the nations among whom they live ! They will al- 
ways remain a separate nation till the end of the 
world. Neither adversity nor prosperity can alter 
this. God’s counsels and purposes centre in them. 
All the promises that are given to the Gentile’ na- 
tions, have their centre in Israel. Christianity is 
incomprehensible without Judaism, it is nothing, 
for Christianity is merely transposed JudOfismx' 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


17 


You lament tlie old faitli ? ” lie said in a tone 
of respect not unmoved ! 

am not viewing the question as one of 
faith,” Gelta answered in a tone of plaintiveness. 
“ It is not as a matter of religion, but as a matter 
I should say of private right, and public hap- 
piness.” 

“ You plead their cause with much feeling,” 
interposed the Count. 

“ It is my own cause,” she replied simply. ‘‘I 
belong to the noble house of Israel.” 

“ Ah !” he ejaculated intently, gazing at her. 

“ You seem surprised,” she queried. 

“ Yes, I confess I am,” he answered, ‘‘ for you 
have not a Jewish cast of features.” 

‘"No! I have not, I admit,” she said ‘‘ there- 
fore, I am very rarely taken for a Jewess, since 
my features are more of the Greek type especially 
the nose ; however, notwithstanding my non- 
semitic appearance, I am proud to be a daughter 
of the house of Israel ; I glory in a race of fore- 
fathers, w^ho belongs to the oppressed, and not to 
the oppressors.” 

The Count watched the deep splendor of her 
eye, and the mantling of her radiant cheek, as she 
spoke those latter words with not merely anima- 
tion but fervor ; his gaze rested on her beautiful 
hair, whose long brown locks of luxuriant richness 
were drawn oflf a low Greek forehead, which was 
the very throne of thought and majesty ; he 
patched her rich coral lips still quivering with the 


18 


gelta: or, 


passion of her words. “ But upon one point there 
can be no controversy,” said the Count with a 
smile and bowing, “Jewess or not, you are cer- 
tainly very beautiful.” 

“ Ah ! ” she answered, “ I perceive that you are 
a flatterer.” 

“ Not at all, I assure you, Madam, I am only 
sincere ! ” At that moment light footsteps were 
heard ; some visitors had entered the apartment. 
It was a tall mature blonde accompanied by a 
slight young man ; they were taking a hurried 
view of the curios. The guard continued to nap 
drowsily at the further end of the room, between 
the two coffins. Gelta and the Count sat silently, 
gazing at the sarcophagus in front of them con- 
taining the fleshless cage. The visitors drew 
nearer and were attracted to the skeleton in the 
coffin ; then the lady turned and looked at Gelta, 
who ill her turn noticed the new comer ; a flash 
of recognition passed between them. Though 
they were not personally acquainted, profession- 
ally they had met several times in Paris. The 
lady and her companion moved on, and Gelta 
turned to the Count and in an undertone she said, 
“ that lady,” mentioning her name, “is one of the 
most famous of our American actresses.” 

“ Indeed ! ” said the Count turning around to 
get a good look at the retreating figure, “ I have 
heard of her.” Then he continued, once more 
facing Gelta, “ she seemed to recognize you ! ” 

“ Oh ! I met her once in society ! ” Gelta an- 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


19 


swered carelessly, and rising she »aid, I think it 
must be late.” 

‘‘ It is a quarter to four,” he replied, consulting 
his watch. ‘‘Fancy we have been sitting here 
for nearly two hours,” he added with a smile. 

“ Indeed ! ” she answered with surprised mien, 
“ I cannot realize it, the time seems to have flown 
so quickly.” 

“ I agree with you,” he replied smilingly. They 
walked on in silence for a while, they had entered 
into the next apartment and were listlessly strol- 
ling along without being especially attracted to 
any one object. Few or no visitors seemed to be 
about. Without the rain came down in torrents ; 
so they lingered in the different rooms; now and 
again perceiving a keeper in a remote corner 
napping. They all appeared to be affected with 
a comatose condition, evidently from lack of proper 
exercise or want of variety. So they all sat peace- 
fully nodding, and every noyv’ and then opening 
an eye, to scrutinize a stray visitor ; and then 
drop off into dreamland again. 

They had passed into several of the different 
apartments when moving towards a seat which lie 
indicated, he said, “ Let us remain here for a few 
moments ! Do you know,” he continued, as they 
were seating themselves once more, looking her 
fully in the face, “your eulogium of the house of 
Israel has quite touched mo ? In fact you have 
roused my sympathies towards that race ! I have 
had little or no opportunity to study them ! and 


20 


gelta: or, 


the very few I have met had their characters so 
distorted by my friends, who introduced them to 
me, that I am fain to admit, that I have viewed 
them with a prejudiced eye ! 

“To be conscious,” she said sweetly, “that you 
have committed a fault, is a great step toward 
reparation. In the future, I hope you will exer- 
cise a little more Christianity toward your fellow 
beings, and judge people by their personal actions 
and just conduct, and not by the accident of birth.” 
He bowed; the admonition sank deep into his 
heart; then rousing himself and with a peculiar 
ring in his voice, he said: 

“You Americans are a wonderful people: you 
think nothing of traveling all over the world in 
order to gain a keen knowledge and insight into 
the different people’s character. Tell me, have 
you ever been to Kussia?” 

“No,” she answered, “nor have I any desire 
to go there.” 

“And yet, I have been told,” he observed, “that 
it is a very delightful country and that the Rus- 
sians are a very affable class of people.” 

“Perhaps they are,” she answered, “but I, as a 
true American girl and a Jewess, do not admire 
their way of government.” 

“Ah, you take an active interest in politics?” 

“Not at all,” she replied, “ only passive. When 
one reads the daily papers, one is perforce au fait 
of current events.” A moment’s silence elapsed, 
then he resumed, meanwhile watching her face 


THE CZAB AND THE CANTATRICE. 


21 


intently: “The Czar must be a heartless tyrant, 
judging from the accounts of his action in the 
press ! I should think the world would be better 
off without him.” 

“ I do not agree with you,” she quietly said; “ if 
the present Czar were to die, or be assassinated, 
some one equally as harsh would succeed him, 
and ninety million souls would still be tyranized 
over. No,” she continued, “ it is not the present 
Czar, who is at fault, but his manner of govern- 
ing ; he follows the precedents of his ancestors, 
who, during their reign over an uncivilized set of 
people, were no doubt compelled, to adopt certain 
methodical tortures ; but it is the gravest mistake 
for a monarch, in this enlightened age, to persist 
in employing remnants of ancient barbarism.” He 
offered no comment and she continued: “I pity 
the Czar and his family.” 

“ You pity the Czar,” he said, interrupting her, 
and with suppressed animation continued: “You, 
a Jewess, can have a feeling of {)ity for the Czar, 
who has done so much towards persecuting your 
race ? ” 

“It is for tliat very reason,” she remarked, 
“ that I solemnly pity the Czar, because he does 
not realize the enormity of his crime, because he 
does not realize the dreadful sufferings he has 
heaped upon his subjects; in his dreadful ignor- 
ance, inculcated solely by ancient barbaric ideas, 
he sorely needs our pity, for his life must be a 
perfect misery : always on the alert to ward off 


22 


Giilta: 0 % 


the assassin’s blow, never feeling sure of the real 
devotion of his nearest kin; and knowing that 
Russia’s throne cannot remain upon its tottering 
pedestal much longer — realizing all this as he 
certainly must, and not having the strength of 
character, the manliness, to break through those 
barbaric traditions, and abolish torture and in- 
human punishments, not having the courage to 
be progressive and move with the age in its en- 
lightened ideas ; seeing all this as he certainly 
must, hated and feared by his nearest subjects, 
he is indeed a truly wretched man, and worthy of 
all right thinking people’s pity.’ 

She looked radiant in her eloquence ; every 
word of hers had gone straight to his soul like so 
many arrows of truth. His eyes had been riveted 
upon her compassionate countenance. Then with 
agitated voice he said : 

“You would make a superb heroine for the 
Nihilistic cause.” 

“ Thank you, she said, rising with chilly hau- 
teur ; “ you forget that I am a true Jewess, there- 
fore I do not approve of dark underhand plotting 
or brutal murder. The house of Israel from its 
very origin dealt with its opponents openly. 
There never were any underhand plottings or 
dark w’oven conspiracies in Israel’s controversies 
with their opponents, never; when Abraham 
embraced Judiasm, he did it openly, when Moses 
undertook to liberate the Jews from their bond- 
age, he did not assassinate liis opponent King 


THE C2AR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


23 


Pliaroali, in whose palace lie often visited. No, 
but he demanded their liberation openly ! As a 
matter of justice and public right. To this day 
the character, there are precious few among 
Israel’s children who are house-breakers, mur- 
derers or fiends incarnate ; for Israel is a peace- 
loving race, and shrinks from the sight of blood. 
Therefore they have at time been called cowards, 
but their nobility of soul treats with silent con- 
tempt the epitaphs thrust at them by ignorance.” 

He bowed very low as he apologized for having 
made a remark which she had misconstrued into 
an insult. 

Oh ! you could not insult me,” she said, her 
hauteur having somewhat relaxed into a smile. 

I simply wanted to disabuse your mind of its 
narrow conceptions of the Jew’s characteristics.” 

They were passing into the next apartment in 
order to leave the building when Gelta neared 
the exit. She saw the door was closed ; she tried 
it and found it had been locked. She stood for a 
few moments silently perplexed ; the blood rose 
to her cheek ; her heart trembled ; for the first 
time in his presence she felt embarrassed. His 
countenance on the contrary was collected, serious 
and pale. A mad impulse had flashed through 
his being ! he yearned to take this lovely girl in 
his arms, to kiss those lustrous daring eyes, to 
fold her to his heart ! “ But,” he reasoned, ‘‘ one 
imprudent gesture might lose her to me for ever ; ” 
for a vague hope had flittered through his mind 


24 


gelta: or, 


that some day their lives would be linked together. 
So, after a moment’s silence he remarked with a 
clear, calm voice, “I see we are locked in.” 

“ Yes,” she replied, in a constrained tone. “ Is 
there no other exit about here ? ” he asked. 

“ No,” she answered ; what’s the time ? ” 

‘‘ Nearly seven o’clock,” he said looking at his 
watch. 

“ Oh ! that accounts for it,” replied Gelta, 
“they close at six;” and then, as she suddenly 
recollected — “ they open at 8 P. M., so we won’t 
have long to wait. So stupid of those sleepy 
guards not to have -warned us ! ” 

“ Yes,” he assented, and inwardly he blessed 
their negligence. They returned to the room they 
had just left. 

“ Won’t you be seated? ” he asked. 

“ No, thanks, I prefer standing,” she answered ; 
as she in silence began slowly to pace up and 
down the room. He saw that her mind was agit- 
ated, so he made no attempt to join her ; which 
somewhat reassured Gelta, for she became more 
calm. Then after a pause she again asked the 
time. 

“ It is a quarter of eight,” he replied, replacing 
the watch in his pocket. 

“ Fifteen minutes more,” she thought! 

“Won’t you tell me your name?” he asked 
again with pleading voice. “ I give you my word 
of honor that you will never have cause to re- 
gret, for having made an exception, in my behalf ; 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


25 


for dispensing with the formality of being pro-* 
perly introduced; since we are both foreigners 
away from home. And then,” he slowly added, 
throwing down as if it were the trump card, “ I 
may be able to persuade some of my friends, to 
render th6 poor immigrant Jews in the East End 
some practical assistance.” 

“ Eeally ? ” exclaimed Gelta with undisguised 
pleasure, her face lighting up with enthusiasm. 
And as she gazed fully into his heavenly blue 
eyes she felt part of her soul go out to him. 

She was visibly troubled at the new feeling 
which had invaded her being ; with downcast eyes 
and subdued tones she said: “ Pray, don’t insist 
further for the present, but if you will let me 
know where a letter might reach you, I will think 
it over and let you know to-morrow.” 

‘‘ To-morrow ! to-morrow,” he echoed, ^^seems a 
long way off. Why not now?” he pleaded. ‘‘There 
is no time like the present.” 

“ I beg of you as a gentleman, not to insist fur- 
ther.” 

He bowed in low submissiveness, then tore a 
scrap of blank paper out of a diary and wrote 
upon it “ Count Varicoff, 45 Portland Square ! ” 

As he handed it to her their hands met for the 
first time, a sweet thrill rapidly coursed through 
their beings as they stood silently facing each 
other for a brief moment; the place had suddenly 
become transformed into a paradise — they heard 
the door being unlocked and saw the guard re- 


26 


Gelta: oli, 


turn without eyincing the slightest surprise at 
their being there. 

Mechanically they made their exit, without 
asking, or giving any explanation to the attendant, 
who simply smiled while watching the retreating 
couple. Soon they found themselves outside the 
museum; she beckoned to a hansom. 

“Won’t you let me drive you to your resi- 
dence,” he pleaded as she entered the cab. 

“No,” she said quietly but firmly, “not this 
evening.” 

“Will you visit the museum to-morrow after- 
noon ? ” 

“ I cannot say,” she answered. 

“ You will be sure to write to me ? ” 

“On my word I promise to do so.” 

He lifted his hat, his eyes beaming with a poetic 
fire at her last assurance; then, putting his head 
near to hers, he whispered: “Where shall I tell 
him to drive you? ” 

She smiled and said, “ Towards Charing Cross.” 

“ You are cruel,” he replied reproachfully; “ but 
you will write ? ” 

“ Without a doubt.” 

“Thanks,” he said grasping her hand with fer- 
vor and holding it for a moment. Then he told 
the cabman to drive towards Charing Cross, and 
with another clasp of the hands and a bow, Gelta 
was soon out of sight. 


THE CZAB, AHD THE CANTaTRIOE. 


27 


CHAPTER 11. 

It was Higlit, clear and serene, tliongli the moon 
liad not risen; a vast concourse of persons were 
hurrying to and fro. The Count’s slight form 
mingled with the pedestrians in Regent street. 
The North wind blew softly over his face, while 
an almost transparent mist of rain spread slowly 
over London again. The Count’s brain was a 
whirl of undefined and conflicting emotions, and 
he gave himself up to them with strange delight; 
for ’twas not in vain that he had felt the pressure 
of her beautiful hand. The touch had been but 
of a few seconds, but even this very short time 
sufficed to electrify him through and through: to 
make another man of him. 

An electric current takes but a second to 
change apiece of iron into a magnet; a single 
moment will produce on the photographic plate 
the picture of a landscape or a human figure. 
The body, the soul, the attractiveness and 
beauty of that willowy being had fixed itself in- 
delibly on the Grand Duke Demetrius. When 
he returned to his house in Portland square, 
which had been placed at his disposal for himself 
and suite, he was much astonished to see his 
faithful old secretary, Baron Gorschofsky full of 
agitation. 

“ So late, your Highness,” said Gorschofsky in 


‘28 


gelta: or, 


a tone of relief. “ I was in sucli an awful suspense 
when you did not return at five o’clock as you 
said you would. I feared lest some of those Ni- 
hilist dogs who infest Soho square might have 
been apprised of your being in London and — ” 

“ No fear of that,” said the Count good natur- 
edly, interupting him; “ our secret is too well kept. 
Besides, very few people would recognize your 
Master in these plain citizens clothes on a crowded 
thoroughfare in London. It is the old saying: 
‘ One is most isolated amidst a crowd.’ Has 
Prince Starabielsky been here?” 

“Yes, your Highness, he called at three o’clock 
and looked somewhat disappointed at not finding 
your Highness in.” Gorschofsky answered with 
bowed head, and silently waited for further in- 
structions. 

“Very well,” replied the Count after a few mo- 
ment’s musing ; “ I will see Prince Starabielsky 
to-morrow morning at 11 sharp ; and now you 
can leave me ; I shall retire early as I feel some- 
what fatigued, and a good long sleep will refresh 
me.” 

“ Has 3 ’our Highness decided to return home at 
the end of this week?” 

“ Yes, Gorschofsky, therefore you must not fail 
to expedite those other matters ! ” 

“ Everything will be in perfect readiness, your 
Highness ; any further instructions ? ” 

“ Not at present,” replied the Count ; and Gor- 
schofsky, bowing very low, silently left the room. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


29 


For some time Count Varicoff sat }3erfectly mo- 
tionless, lost in deep thought. State affairs of 
vast import, family ties, home duties, all in their 
turn quickly presented themselves in his mental 
gallery ; and amid them all, standing out in bold 
relief, was the lovely face of the young girl, who 
had unconsciously crossed his path that afternoon. 
“ I cannot believe ” he mused, “ that our meeting 
was only an accident ! No ! it was intended by 
fate ! ” and then a mellow warmth pervaded his 
entire being ! “ Ah ! ” he sighed, “ and to think I 

do not even know her name ! ” However, he felt 
convinced she would grant him another opportu- 
nity of meeting her, since he had rightly read in 
her passionate eyes, an unconscious gleam, testi- 
fying he was not altogether indifferent to her. 
And then he thought how strange it is that she 
should be a Jewess — a daughter of a race upon 
whom he had always looked down with scorn ! 
And then he tried to shake off with a laugh a 
touch of remorse ; at the thought of how many 
innocent Jews had felt the awful sting of his deep- 
rooted prejudice. Never mind ! ” he jocularly 
concluded ; I will make amends by loving a 
Jewess — to-morrow I may see her.” And so he 
retired, that to-morrow might arrive sooner 


30 


GELTA : OR, 


CHAPTER III. 

Gelta soon arrived at lier hotel and after hav- 
iiig partaken of some light supper, she comfort- 
ably ensconced herself in an easy chair, and essayed 
to drink in the poetic beauties of her favorite 
Tasso’s ‘‘Jerusalem delivered.” She felt more 
serene and cheerful than for a long period had 
been her wont. Sometimes she turned for a mo- 
ment from her volume and fell into a deep reverie 
of the morrow. She sighed for the good old days 
when she had her treasured mother’s love to shield 
herself in from the cold calculating world ; she 
saw herself once more a little babe surrounded by 
the most unselfish and teuderest loves ; she saw 
herself once more a happy careless child, before 
hard study and relentless ambition had been 
crowded into her innocent life ; then there rose 
before her all those touching images of the past, 
and she compared her present isolation from all 
kindred ties, and her eyes* filled with tears. She 
realized for the first time what a void there had 
been in her heart since her mother’s death. She 
had tried to shut out the yearning with constant 
work and occupation, but now the yearning became 
once more sensible. And blended with it the 
thought, of one, — whom she had met that day, and 
who alas, did not impress her at all like a stranger ! 
but on the contrary seemed like an old and trusted 


THR CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


31 


friend. His voice even now lingered in her ears ; 
she recalled without an effort those tones of the 
afternoon, tones so full of sympathy and yet of 
wisdom, that had sounded so full of tenderness 
for her. Never had man appeared to her in a 
light so subduing. A thousand images, dazzling 
and wild, rose in her mind ; a thousand thoughts, 
beautiful and quivering, clustered round her 
heart. For a moment she indulged in impossible 
dreams, and seemed to have entered a newly-dis- 
covered world. The horizon of her experience 
expanded like the glittering heaven of a fairy tale ; 
her eyes were fixed in lustrous contemplation ; 
the fiush on her cheek was a messenger from her 
heart, the movement of her mouth would have in 
an instant become a smile, when the clock struck 
twelve ! and Gelta started from her reverie and 
decided to retire at once, and not think till morn- 
ing. But all night she lay with open eyes. Sleep 
did not woo her — she was strangely feverish and 
agitated. Night waned, and Gelta was at last 
slumbering; the cold that preceded the dawn had 
stolen over her senses and calmed the excitement 
of her nerves. Her slumber was brief and dis- 
turbed, but it had, in a great degree, soothed the 
irritated brain. She woke, however, in terror from 
a dream in which she saw herself hopelessly in 
love with the strange man, whom she had met 
only the previous afternoon at the museum ; and 
who, although he reciprocated her deep love, 
could never be her husband ! She sat for some 


32 


gelta: or, 


time on tlie edge of her bed, she seemed with 
open eyes still to continue her dream, still to ex- 
perience the new sensation which had come over 
her. As’ she saw her passionate lover pleading 
at her feet, slowly came over Gelta the conviction 
that it was Fate, who had wdlled this unlooked 
for meeting, in order to juggle with her feelings. 
She remained for some time bowed in silent 
prayer. Then she rose with a determined calm- 
ness, as she mentally resolved to out-wit Fate ! 
That morning she was to visit White Chapel, but 
before doing so, she sat down and wrote to the 
Count, since she had given her word that he 
would hear from her. She likewise determined 
to leave London that very w^eek, in order that she 
should not change the good resolution which she 
had formed. Never again would she see the only 
man who had impressed her girlish heart ! 


CHAPTER IV. 

On the following morning, after a sleepless 
night, the Grand Duke Demetrius was sitting in 
his study enjoying the conviction that he would 
that day again see his beautiful incognita, and 
would then learn her name. He also determined 
in return to divulge to her his own high family 
connections, and the name by which he was really 
known. Of course. Count Varicoff was one of his 
numerous titles ; but he yery rarely availed him- 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


33 


self of its use ; he also determined to speak of liis 
feelings towards her, and see what plans they 
could arrange for the future, since his stay in 
London was of necessity very limited. He had 
given strict orders to his valet not to be disturb- 
ed by callers before eleven o’clock. When he was 
once more alone he fell into a deep reverie ; he 
thought of, and analyzed the manifold feelings of 
that happy moment when he first beheld her in the 
treasure room, and when later she sat near and con- 
versed with him, when with glowing eyes he out- 
lined her beautiful form. • And, oh ! that voice ! 
which had thrilled his soul ; he had the feeling as 
if she were still sitting near him ; he felt that 
mighty feverish sensation, which for the first time 
in his life, had come over him at sight of her. He 
had seen and courted hundreds of beautiful women^ 
He had fluttered like others from flower to flower, 
and like others, had often fancied the last perfume 
the sweetest, and then had flown away But now 
he was entirely captivated. This was the first 
woman who without suing, had involuntarily got 
closer to his heart than all other women. 

He could not forget that when he had held her 
hand on parting, though it had been but for one 
short moment, the touch had sufficed to electrify 
him through and through. He could not forget 
this embrace of the palm. It would last for ever ! 
as long as life. For this delirium of the senses 
he found, as one always does, but one anodyne, to 
possess her. 


34 


gelta: or, 


Exactly at eleven o’clock Baron Gorscliofsky 
announced Prince Starabielsky. The Prince sub- 
mitted several matters of State in the interest of 
the Russian government which had been com- 
pleted, and then he withdrew. The Grand Duke 
soon dispatched some other official visitors, and 
when he found himself once more alone, im- 
mediately his thoughts flew to her. It was now 
half-past twelve o’clock. She had not written, 
which he considered a very good omen, for he felt 
sure she would again meet him that afternoon. 
After hurriedly partaking of a light lunch, he 
drove to the British Museum, in order to find 
himself within the room which she had but yes- 
terday graced with her presence. At first he did 
not notice how long he had waited, as he sat there 
upon the same bench, which she yesterday only 
had shared with him; he was plunged in medi- 
tations, he remembered how the first look which 
he had thrown on her childish face had evoked 
within him feelings such as he had never known 
for any other being on earth. How warm and 
tender was the bright flush of her deep set 
eyes, how gracefully symetrical her form, how 
thick the masses of dark brown wavy hair that 
clustered behind her small quick ear, all the 
smallest details of her were indelibly graven on 
his memory; he sat there with feverish expec- 
tancy, and every now and then, when sounds of a 
few visitors strolling into the room reached him, 
he would quickly turn his head towards the door. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


35 


hoping to see liis beautiful incognita, and after 
each disappointment console himself with the 
thought that she would come a little later; and 
then he would once more indulge in sweet mys- 
terious reveries. 

And so the hours slowly rolled on but she came 
not. He consulted his watch for the hundredth 
time and found it was a few minutes after five 
o’clock, he knew the place closed at six; he still 
hoped that she might walk in perhaps at the very 
last moment, and so he waited. He mentally re- 
peated every word, every look that had passed 
between them, and he felt convinced that he had 
impressed her favorably — therefore he never for a 
moment thought that he would not see her again. 
However, he remained until the museum closed, 
then he hurried home, hoping to find a note from 
her, since she had given him her word that she 
would write, and he was right in feeling sure that 
he would hear from her; but it was not till the 
next morning after a most restless night, filled 
with agitated dreams that, as he was pacing up 
and down his study, his servant entered and de- 
livered a letter marked personal, which had been 
posted late the night before. The writing though 
bold and well-formed was in a lady’s hand, which 
indicated great strength of character in the writer. 
He hesitated before opening it, as instinct told 
him it was from his fair incognita; he wanted to 
gather all his courage before perusing its con- 
tents. 


36 


gelta: or, 


There are moments, when we feel a crisis is 
about to take place in our lives and we hesitate, 
in order to collect our strength, to counteract the 
shock which we may have to face. Such moments, 
demonstrate to us our will power. 

Demetrius glanced once more about the room 
to be sure he was alone, then hurriedly unsealed 
the letter. It ran thus. 

Dear Count, I write this as I promised that 
you would hear from me. I have given much 
serious thought to our meeting, and would have 
been delighted, if we could have still further cul- 
tivated our acquaintance, if only in the interest 
of those poor Russian emigrant Jews, in whose 
behalf, you told me you would practically interest 
some of your influential friends. However, I 
sincerely hope that our not meeting again, will 
not deter you from your noble resolution, in at- 
tempting to assist, those friendless strangers, 
whom religious bigotry has driven from their 
own native land upon a foreign isle ! 

In order to disabuse your mind of any notion 
that because of several remarks 3^011 made, during 
our conversation, I may feel somewhat prejudiced 
against you, I will be bold enough to confess my 
real reason, for my desire never to meet 3’ou 
again. In the first place, ever since our meeting 
yesterday, I have tried to picture you as the total 
stranger which jon in reality are to me ; but, 
alas ! 3^ou seemed like an old friend ! — like one 
whom I had always known, then again, intuition 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


37 


tells me, that you also feltyourself drawn towards 
me ; pray do npt take the last expressed thought 
for personal conceit, I had read of such feelings, 
but did not believe in them — did not believe, at 
least, until I met you — and yet, I have met many 
persons, and seen something more, much more, 
than falls to the lot of women of my age ! Believe 
me, indeed, my eye has hitherto been undazzled, 
and my heart untouched. My dear Count, I speak 
plainly, because I think plainly, and I feel some- 
how, that you would wish me to speak plainly. I 
cannot think that our meeting w^as entirely due 
to chance, but meant by fate, to juggle with the 
feelings of two beings, whose destinies, lie far 
asunder! I have determined to leave London this 
very day, so that we may never, never meet again. 
With best wishes for your everlasting happiness, 
I remain. 

Yours sincerelj", 

D. 

After having several times reread the letter 
which his trembling hand still held, after having 
several times drank in, wholly absorbed, each 
w^ord, each thought as it were. Count Varicoff 
sank down upon a couch. Something within him 
had snapped — a feeling of awful woe pervaded 
him, and for the first time, since he had growm to 
manhood, he wept bitter tears; then he sat motion- 
less for a long time, dazed; he felt a terrible blank, 
like that which meets the deep thinker, when he 
vainly tries to pierce into the hidden and unknown. 


38 


Oelta : on, 


Baffled sympathy was the cause of the Couut^s 
gloom. It is the secret spring of most melan- 
cholies. He loved, and loved in vain ! The con- 
vection, that his passion, though hopeless, was 
not looked upon with disfavor, only made him the 
more wretched, for the disappointment is more 
acute, in proportion, as the chance is better. 

Two daj’S later after having remained in his 
rooms plunged in the deepest melancholy, he Vent 
forth to visit the museum, once more before his 
departure for home, to linger near the place where 
he had first beheld her; and as he found himself 
once more seated on the same bench, he heard an 
inward voice whisper, that they would meet again. 
“But how ? ” he queried mentally, “I do not even 
know her name, or to what country she has gone to. 
No,” he ejaculated, “there is no hope, — but, 
oh ! how cruel of her,” he mused, “ not to tell me 
her name, the thought of not even knowing the 
name, of the one woman who has entered my 
heart, is beyond endurance,” and so he sat there 
for hours, with staring eyes, gazing into empty 
space. 

The guard between the two coffliis at the 
further end of the room, smilingly watched him ; 
for he divined that it was not the curios which 
surrounded him that had interest, for this melan- 
choly visitor ! “Oh, no,” he mentally concluded 
in cockney refrain, “ they all get hit that way ! 
Oh ! them women ! ” 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


39 


CHAPTEE V. 

Gelta was preparing to return to Paris a few 
days later, and determined to re-yisit the different 
buildings of interest in London before her de- 
parture. 

Time passes with rapid flight during the first 
period of sojourn in a new place, among new 
characters, and new manners. Every person, 
every incident, every feeling, touches and stirs the 
imagination. The restless mind creates and ob- 
serves at the same time. Gelta found this during 
the first days of her new residence in London. 
Although she had passed several months of sight- 
seeing in London while yet a child with her 
mother, still in re-visiting those same places of 
interest, she viewed them all in a new light. 
After devoting the first few weeks since her arrival 
in London to the business part connected with 
her concerts, she gave herself up wholly to visit- 
ing the different places of interest. 

Next to the British Museum, was the National 
Gallery, in which she admired, with something of 
awe, the glorious paintings of the great masters. 
One moment she would drink in the beauties of 
Eaphael’s Madonna, next she would feast her 
eyes on a glorious Holbein, then she would gaze 
in mute admiration on a Eubens, with its volupt- 
ous women and athletic men, through whose 


40 


gelta: or, 


veins seemed to course tlie glow of life, and then 
again on Sir Joshua Beynolds’ Cherubs, whose 
limpid eyes reflected the calm peace of Heaven. 
And so, for hours she would linger, and lose her- 
self, amid the beautiful creations of genius, which 
had passed through the earth, only to deposit the 
child of its mind,- for the elevation of posterity. 
Gelta also exi)erienced great pleasure in roaming 
about "Westminster Abbey, and St. Paul’s Cathe- 
dral. There, amid the graves, and effiges of de- 
parted greatness, how transient seemed humanity, 
with its hates, its vanities, its worldy ambitions, 
its futile struggle for brief authority and accu- 
mulation of wealth ; and what in the end did it 
all amount to? Thus moralizing she would wait 
for the afternoon service, and listen to the Cathe- 
dral being flooded with music from the grand 
organ, until sh^ felt her soul swimming in a per- 
fect elysium of harmony and light, which was 
pouring in upon her, from another, an everlasting, 
a peaceful happy world. Then she would return 
to her hotel, soothed with the reflection, that 
humanity will not always suffer. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


41 


CHAPTER VI. 

"White Chapel abounds, in a maze of lanes, and 
alleys, and a liasty glance wliile passing through 
these parts, and Petticoat Lane, at once reveals to 
the casual pedestrian, the condition, of the un- 
happy beings immured in those dreadful lodgings, 
of the throng of wretched creatures, pent up with- 
in its foul reeking squalid lairs, of large families 
living in the back of a damp basement while the 
front part is utilized for a shop, such as a but- 
chers or green-grocers, or a cook-shop where fish 
is constantly fried from early morning until late 
at night, and sold to the poor who can afford a 
penny-worth, or two, of this delicacy to accompany 
their daily meal, consisting perliaps merely of 
coarse rye bread, and black turnip-like radishes. 

It was Friday morning, a cold withering wind 
blew ; the narrow street on both sides had been 
blocked since an early hour with street barrows, 
whose vendors were displaying their wares. 
Some displayed potatoes and black radishes, 
others dried cake and broken biscuits by the 
pound, some were piled up with all sorts of bits 
of meat, no doubt intended for soups and stews ; 
others again displayed a quantity of short rem- 
nants of ribbons and laces, a few were filled with 
small fish heaped up in little piles sold at so much 
a mess ; one devoted to poultry was j)residedover 


42 


GELTA : OB, 


by an old Eussian woman, who w^as selling tliree- 
year-old, for spring chickens, and who kept offer- 
ing her soul as^a wager, that her fowls were as 
tender as butter. 

In the narrow space intended as the road w^as a 
crowd of Jewish women, coming and going, some 
with clean faces and smoothly brushed hair, but 
the majority of them looking as if water had not 
touched their faces for a month. They w^ere all 
walking along, swinging their empty baskets in 
their right hand, most of them having an infant 
in their left arm, and perhaps several older ones 
tucking away at their skirts, they all seemed to 
walk with their heads unconsciously thrown back, 
in an attitude, of pride, and hauteur. One would 
hardly imagine they had come to provide food for 
a very large family for several days with only a 
few shillings to face the outlays, which perforce 
compelled them to stand about and barter, and 
bargain, for a penny or two, or to walk a con- 
siderable distance through the different lanes and 
alleys, in search of the required article, and there- 
by save a halfpenny. Eather might one infer, 
from their martial bearing, as if they were going 
to deliver Jerusalem, and proclaim themselves its 
conquerors. 

Gelta had determined not to leave London 
without again visiting the East End where all 
the poor helpless Eussian Jews congregated 
although she felt that pecuniarily she could offer 
them little or nothing ; for her mother before her 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


43 


death had arranged that Gelta should touch only 
a very small sum of her income until she had 
reached her thirtieth year, though this with the 
handsome salary she earned amply suflSced for 
her current expenses. The mother knew her 
daughter’s generous weakness, for giving to those 
in distress, without considering whether she was 
depriving herself or not. But Gelta felt that if 
she could only give them her heart’s sympathy, 
even that, was better than nothing, so she went. 
She chose a Friday morning, to see those sorely 
tried women do their Sliabbas marketing. 

It was about half past eleven, when Gelta found 
herself hemmed in, in the centre of Petticoat Lane 
by a crowd of these poor Kussian Jews. As most 
of them spoke a debased sort of German she could 
easily understand all they said. She had been 
walking about there for over an hour ; the dread- 
ful odors emanating from the meats, fish, decayed 
vegetables, and the awful drains of the locality, 
had made a nauseating sickness come over her, and 
she laughed at herself, as she mentally thought, 
that though she had crossed the Adriatic, and the 
Mediterranean Seas, and the Atlantic Ocean, 
several times, she had never felt so sick until this 
morning, after her arrival at Whitechapel. Then 
she mentally asked herself how these poor people 
who lived there all the time could endure it ? 
especially as she observed that tl]e majority of the 
children and young girls v/ere in robust health, 
and notwithstanding their squalid surroundings 


44 


gelta: or, 


and dirty and neglected appearance, were beauti- 
ful to behold. Of one thing Gelta felt in- 
stinctively convinced, that thej^ were independent 
of their surroundings, and could be lifted out of 
them as it were. All the sordid littleness of their 
low-born lives would drop from them, like a cloak, 
without leaving even their memory to drag them 
down, from the new sphere, in which they might 
be placed. It is that touch of race, that gleam of 
the Orient, that potential refinement, as impossi- 
ble to describe, as it is to deny, which distin- 
guishes the Jewish race, all the world over, and 
surrounds the lowest, and most uneducated, with 
a glamor of romance. 

At one corner of the lane leaning over a barrow^ 
stood what might have been a Rabbi ; he peddled 
fish — cod, halibut, white - fish and smelts ; all 
frozen stiff. His high forehead, his wise wrinkled 
face and his long, grey beard gave him a patri- 
archal air. There was a patriarchal air about 
the fish too. 

The good wife, whose eyes peered out of a mass 
of pink and white woolen wrappings, stood purse 
in hand and basket open, watching him weigh a 
fish. 

‘‘ Three pounds,” he said, in the jargon, “ that’ll 
be one and three-pence.” 

Without a smile or a frown, without a twinkle 
or a tremor, she drew from her purse a six-pence 
and held it up to his eyes. Panic was written on 
his face. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


45 


My dear woman, my dear, dear, dear, woman, 
liow can I? Would you have my wife starve and 
my young ones go hungry? Starvation — there, 
take the fish. It’s yours, one and two-pence.’ 

She shook her head, closed the basket, pocketed 
the purse and turned away — one step. 

“I’ll give seven-pence, not a penny more. In 
Wliitechapel they only charge ” — 

“ God has abandoned me.” Suin was depicted 
upon his countenance — hopeless, starving, suffer- 
ing, ruin. “ The fish is yours, one and a penny 
and may Jehovah take pity on my wife and chil- 
dren.” 

She picked up the fish, pinched it, rubbed it, 
sniffed at it, and laid it upon the scale again. 
Then she opened her basket, drew out her purse 
and counted into the palm of her hand seven- 
pence half-penny. These without a word, she held 
out to him. 

“ Seven-pence half-penny,” he shrieked, “Would 
you ruin me ? I swear that it cost me a shil- 
ling.” 

With a snap the purse closed; the lid of the 
basket was jammed tight, and she walked off. He 
seized the fish by the tail and followed her. For 
nearly half a block he pushed, struggled, elbowed 
and zig-zagged through the throngs of marketers, 
keeping his patriarchal eyes upon her. She spied 
another fish-stand ; he also spied it, and, what was 
more, spied that she had spied it. In a twinkling 
he beside her, the basket cover was flung 


46 


gelta: or, 


open, tlie fisli was dropped unceremoniously in- 
side and — - 

“ Seven-pence lialf-penny, but God help my wife 
and children.” 

It was almost noon yet the lanes seemed as 
densely crowded with these women as ever. Some 
of the women had completed their marketing, and 
were returning home with their heavy loads, 
others had just arrived and were disappointed at 
the different remnants of inferior wares which 
the street barrows displayed. Those poor women 
who could not afford a mess of six-penny fish, went 
into some of the shops, and bought for two-pence 
a dozen herrings ; which were kept in large kegs 
of brine ; these with a few potatoes served as their 
daily meals. Yet they all seemed cheerful and 
chatty, during these marketing expeditions, for 
they met their friends and neighbors, and ex- 
changed the wreck’s budget of gossip ; and also ex- 
tended and accepted the invitations to visit each 
other on the morrow, Avhich was their Sabbath. 
Gelta overheard all they spoke of, as she quietly 
every now and then, moved on after having paused 
to observe some of the curb-stone merchants’ 
methods of attracting customers, or to gaze pity- 
ingly on some poor pedcber, and slip a shilling into 
his hand, while he stared at her with a blank grati- 
tude. She had now stopped near the poultry 
woman, who had a few fowls left, and in order to 
dispose of them was still offering up her soul as a 
wager that they were as tender as butter. After 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


47 


having watched and listened some little time, Gel ta 
spoke to the woman in German, asking her why 
she offered that convenient chattel her soul? to 
which the old woman confidingly replied, after hav- 
ing thoroughly scrutinized her, and justly conclud- 
ed that Gelta would never be one of her customers, 
that she usually offered her soul, because if she 
lost it, it would not be tangible.” Gelta smiled 
at the old woman’s cupidity and wit and walked 
on ! As she was sauntering along looking at the 
wares in the small dingy shops ; and watching the 
animated scene surrounded by so much filth, rub- 
bish, and sordid talk, she thought how no one 
hut an Israelite^ could understand, what an inner, a 
nobler life those same people led, during their 
many holidays, and the Sabbath. Upon those 
days, they became refined, and more subdued in 
their manners and speech. 

To see these same grasping avaricious mer- 
chants, and those howling, bargaining buyers, 
whilst their traffic was going on, hurling all sorts 
of epithets at each other in order to gain their 
ends ; and then to see these self-same people in 
/S^c/u^Ze (Synagogue) or while visiting each other; 
with that quiet almost dignified bearing, discuss- 
ing the Jewish situation of the nineteenth cen- 
tury, and showering innumerable blessings upon 
the. head of the truly noble and generous Israel- 
ites, who made such strenuous efforts to ameliorate 
the present conditions of the poor persecuted 
Jews ; and to notice how each of these families 


48 


gelta: or, 


always liad at their table a few guests, wlio could 
not even afford to pay for a solid meal, Avas to 
store up materials for grave reflection. 

It was the poor feeding the poor. And at such 
times their squalid surroundings seemed to take 
on a sort of halo for peace and rest, reigned eA^ery- 
where, during those strictly kept holidays. 

Whilst Gelta was mentally seeing their holiday 
home life, and comparing it with their daily 
struggle, she noticed sitting with boAved head at 
one corner of a maze of lanes, an old venerable- 
looking man, who had a lot of religious mo- 
mentoes for sale, such as Mezizas (door post 
charms), Tephillin (phylacteries), Tzitzes (fringes, 
little prayer-books, etc.) 

This old Hebrew, in his well-AV’orn satin kaftan, 
was a striking and eA^en imposing flgure, though 
of medium height. He had that bearing of dig- 
nity, which made him look taller than he really 
was. He had a wonderful Avhite beard, a massiA^e 
forehead and a pair of very vivid black eyes ; his 
face, on the whole, denoted nobility of character, 
coupled Avith a sad uncomplaining expression, 
that Avas really touching to behold. He Avas sit- 
ting with bowed head, a far-away dreamy look in 
his eyes; Avhen a couple of common-looking girls 
Avho seemed to be returning to their work, 
emerged from one of the dark alleys into the lane, 
and caught sight of the old Jew ; they at once 
began hurling all sorts of epithets at him, accom- 
panied by pantomimic gestures in derision of his 


'^HE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


49 


race. Gelta watched their savage antics ; with 
compassionate pity for their ignorant conduct, 
and as she looked at the patriarchal face of the 
old man upon which was depicted sad resignation 
she thought of those beautiful lines of Lowell’s : 

“ One faith against the whole earth’s unbelief, 

One soul against the flesh of ali mankind.” 

She went up and priced some of his different 
articles and engaged in a prolonged conversation, 
chatting all the while so as to induce him to 
speak of himself and his past. She eventually 
persuaded him into a confiding humor, and he 
told her he had been a Rabbi for thirty years in 
one of the small Russian provinces, and that he 
had been compelled to contribute for years a cer- 
tain amount of money to the master of police, 
and other government officials, in order that he 
and his community should be allowed to exist in 
peace in their little town. 

“ Why did you not make a complaint to the 
Czar ?” Gelta asked. 

The poor man shook his head sadly as he re- 
plied to her naive question. Russia is not like 
this grand free country where the poorest, the 
humblest individual can have his wrongs brought 
to the notice of those, who love truth and justice, 
by simply acquainting any of the daily papers 
with his sufferings. There is no press there, ex- 
cept that presided over by the government 
Censor, who allows to appear in print only the 
dictations of the grasping officials. It would be 


50 


gelta: oe, 


useless to complain. It would also be useless to 
write to tlie Czar acquainting liim with the tyrany 
exercised over his subjects by those whom he has 
invested with a little brief authority ; for the 
complaint would have to pass through the hands 
of the master of police, and the very officers who 
with all sorts of threats of the knout and Siberia 
made us deliver over to them the little money 
which we very often required for the necessaries 
of life, until within the last few years we had not 
even that ; whereupon they became so angered 
that others and myself had to make our escape on 
foot for a considerable distance in order to avoid 

their fury. When we came to the town of Od 

we heard that the great nobleman, the Baron de 
Hirsch (may he be forever blessed. Amen.) 
And then the old Hebrew bowed his head for a 
moment as if invoking a silent prayer, upon his 
generous deliverer, whilst Gelta echoed mentally 
his Amen ! He continued : 

‘‘The good Baron de Hirsch haa agents there 
to provide us with a little money and transporta- 
tion to this good country, ana another great land 
beyond the seas.’’ 

“You mean America,” Gelta interposed. 

“Yes, that’s it,” he answered, “but I am 
seventy-eight years old, and as I have not long to 
remain on this globe of weary wanderings, I did 
not wish to travel so far, for I want to be as near 
to Palestine as possible before I die, and here I 
am.** 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRIOE. 


51 


Gelta was deeply touclied at tlie heart’s desire 
of this poor lonely son of Israel. 

After a few moments had elapsed during which 
Gelta was examining various articles on his bar- 
row, in order to hide her emotion, she resumed — 
‘‘Educated as you are in Hebrew, do you not 
often feel sick at heart at the degradation, of 
having in your old ago to sit amid this foul atmos- 
phere, and humbly submit to the insults, of such 
ignorant creatures, as those who only a few 
moments ago, singled you out as the butt for 
their jests?” 

“My dear child,” he interposed, “the petty 
troubles of life are like the tickings of a clock, 
unheard, when unheeded, but when heeded, beat- 
ing like a sledge hammer upon the brain.” 

“Yes,” she quickly added, “it is all very well if 
we can shut out the ticking of the clock, but one 
has not always the power to do so, and to a 
sensitive nature like j^ours, to be placed con- 
stantly amid misery and want must surely be a 
humiliation.” 

“No,” he majestically answered witli a resigned 
demeanour and quoted a few stanzas in Hebrew 
which ran thus : 

“ Why should I blush that Fortune’s frown, 

Dooms me life’s humble path to tread. 

To live unheeded and unknown. 

To sink forgotten with the dead? 

Tis not the good, the wise, the brave. 

That surest shine, or highest rise. 

The feather sports upon the wave, 

The pearl in ocean’s cavern lies.” 


52 


GELTA : OR, 


Gelta witli suppressed emotion gazed at tliis 
noble old man, Avliose life liad known so little 
sunshine-, yet who accepted all the ills of fate with 
so much calmness and uncomplaining resignation ;; 
she felt too much moved to listen longer to his 
noble thoughts, environed by such squallor ; she 
selected several small articles of the value of a 
couple of shillings and tendered him a sovereign 
requesting him at the same time to keep the 
change. He hesitated, and then refused ; unless 
she took goods to the full amount, but Gelta in- 
sisted, and at last he consented to do so on condi- 
tion that he should give part of it to several of his 
friends, who* had more to provide for, and less 
opportunity of gaining their living. 

Gelta told him to do what he thought best, and 
departed while he kept murmuring blessings after 
her. 

It was now one o’clock and as Gelta had spent 
several hours in those dreadful lanes, she felt 
quite sick from their nauseating odors, and de- 
termined to make her escape at once ; she cut 
through several little cross streets in order to 
reach Bishopsgate street sooner, when she stopped 
for a moment attracted hy the cries of a little boy, 
about six years of age, verj^ thinly clad, who w^as 
sitting in front of a very dilapidated and tumbled 
down looking wooden house ; on the opposite side. 
As this part seemed to be deserted at the time, 
she crossed to enquire what ailed him, since with 
big drowning tears rolling down his cheeks he 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


53 


whined “ Wai ! wai ! ” After a few moment’s coax- 
ing as to the cause of his grief he mumbled in 
lachrymose tones “ hineric ” (hungry). Gelta asked 
him why he did not go home, and get something 
to eat, in answer to which he pointed into the 
dingy cellar which Gelta had not noticed was in- 
habited, saying “ milter hat kein hrot ” (Mother has 
no bread). 

Gelta’s eyes followed the direction indicated, 
meditating whether to give him a few coppers to 
buy some bread, and then hasten away to get 
some fresh air, or to investigate and see whether 
his cries were genuine. A moment’s pause, and 
her decision was made. She decended the eight 
or ten rotting stairs and stood on the threshold 
looking into a dark room about ten feet by twelve, 
which seemed to be the living and sleeping room , 
for at the further end was a bed unmade right 
over which on the once wdiitewashed wall, now 
rendered a dingy grey through humidity and dirt, 
hung a cheap print of Sif Moses Montefiore ; 
opposite the bed stood a wooden cupboard upon 
whose upper shelves were a few plates, cups and 
saucers ; the lower part ^vas screened off by the 
tattered remains of a checkered curtain, between 
the bed and the cupboard there was a rusty un- 
fixed grate, which held a handful of cinders that 
had been struggling in that cheerless room for 
existence, but had finally succumbed, and now lay 
dead on its bosom ; a wooden table to the left of 
the cupboard leaning painfully against the wall 


54 


gelta: or, 


upon its three legs, the fourth was missing ; a 
couple of wooden chairs and several empty soap 
boxes seemed to complete the furnishing of this 
dreadful abode. Gelta had opened the half glass 
door which served both as the window and door 
of the place, she stood on the threshold for some 
moments peering into the room, a ray of sickly 
light seemed struggliDg for existence there, and 
lingered upon a woman of about forty years of 
age, who sat upon a wooden box with bowed head 
and stockinged feet, a baby of several months old 
was in her arms and tugging away with its mouth 
at her breast, which seemed withered like a 
woman’s of eighty years old ; every now and then 
the child would take a tug or two at the breast, 
and then would whine, as if not getting the re- 
quired nourishment ; the woman never moved as 
she sat bowed in her grief, she looked the image 
of the despairing “ Niobe.” Gelta spoke several 
times, but the woman never stirred, until two little 
dark curly heads peeped out from underneath the 
feather bed, where they had lain no doubt to 
keep warm. 

On perceiving the strange lady, the elder, a 
little girl of about three years of age, called her 
parent’s attention to the stranger, the wretched 
woman was recalled from her reverie to the 
urgent misery that surrounded her. She lifted 
up her pale grief-stricken face, which told its own 
tale, and looked towards the door. 


THE C2AE ANE THE CANTATEICE. 


Gelta addressed her for the third time telling 
her the little boy was hungry, and crying. 

“What can I do?” the woman moaned, help- 
lessly, “I have no money or bread, and yesterday 
my poor dead husband was carried out of here. 
You see I am sitting ‘ Shiva’ ” (a form of Jewish 
mourning, which the nearest relatives observe, by 
never leaving their sleeping room for a period of 
eight days and in their stocking feet sitting about 
and taking their food upon a low stool or wooden 
box, and praying frequently for the soul of the 
dead.) 

“ Does no one know of your urgent distress ? ” 
Gelta asked, anxiously. 

“ Eh, yes, ” the poor woman replied, “ our Eabbi 
has notified the charity committee^ they said they 
would be round as soon as possible to assist us, 
of course they have already helped me somewhat, 
but all went in nursing my poor husband. ” And 
here the wretched woman wept bitterly, as she 
continued through her sobs, “he lingered for 
three months in this bed, and we were so hopeful 
of saving him. ” 

“ No wonder he died, ” Gelta thought, as she 
sadly looked about her. The poor woman went 
on with her story, “ my husband was a tailor and 
worked very hard to keep us all, and we were so 
contented to wait, and hope for better times, 
when my poor Isaac fell sick five months ago, and 
the doctor said it was consumption, and that he 
must have rest, and good nourishment, so I made 


56 


gelta: ok, 


him stay at home ; and I went out and helped in 
the families, with their washing and scrubbing, 
and with what I earned, and with what the 
different ladies gave me, we were able to get 
along ; and I was hoping that my good Isaac 
would soon get well, when he got pneumonia two 
weeks ago and he never lived through it. ” 

Gelta listened and the poor woman continued. 

My neighbors, God bless them, have been very 
kind to me but they all have such a hard time to 
get along themselves, one poor old lady brought 
in this morning a pot of tea and half a loaf of 
bread, I did not touch it, but gave it to the chil- 
dren and they ate every bit, and still cried for 
more, I don’t know what ails them,” she wailed 
with irritation in her voice, “ they never seem to 
get enough.” 

“ No wonder, ” Gelta thought when so little is 
offered the poor starved mites. 

“ I shiver very much,” continued the woman. 
“ It’s a cold day. Pray shut the door.” Gelta 
had left the door open to give some ventilation to 
the place. 

“You are ill, ” Gelta said, moving to the side of 
the woman. “ Give me your hand, ” she added in 
a soft sweet tone, “ ’Tis hot ! ” 

“ I feel very cold,” replied the woman. 

“Because you have no fire,” Gelta answered 
“ but we will soon remedy that,” and taking the 
little boy by the hand, she asked, “ what is your 
name dear? ” 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE, 


57 


^‘Moscher Silberwasser,” he answered. 

“Moscher/’ she smilingly repeated, “well he 
was a great general who guided the Jews from 
Eg3’pt, for over forty long j^ears, over mountain 
tops, and deserts, until he led them safely into the 
land of plenty, so you, like your name-sake must 
guide me to the shops where we will buy for 
mamma a lot of nice things to eat and drink ; and 
taking Moscher by the hand and telling Mrs. 
Silberwasser that she would soon return she de- 
parted on her errand of mercy. 

The first thing Gelta did was to order a couple 
of sacks of coal to bo delivered immediately ; she 
bought a kettle at the next door shop and handed 
it to the man that was to deliver the coal with the 
instruction that he should light the fire and put 
the kettle with the water on to boil and that if he 
would do so quickly, upon her return she would 
give him a couple of shillings for himself. He 
willingly consented, and then Gelta cut through 
Bishopsgate street and entered a large grocer’s. 
Meanwhile Moscher was busily engaged in alter- 
natel}^ munching a large sugared bun, and an 
apple, and casting grateful looks at his benefac- 
tress. After having expended a couple of pounds, 
for groceries, not omitting certain delicacies such 
as jams, biscuits, a couple of bottles of good wine 
and a bottle of the best brandy, she gave orders 
that they should be immediatly delivered, and 
then departed. When they reached Mrs. Silber- 
wasser’s abode, Moscher was helping to carry a 


68 


GELTA: OR, 


large parcel containing a little sailor suit for him- 
self, together with a dozen pairs of warm stock- 
ings of different sizes, a pair of shoes and some 
warm underwear for his mother, and sisters. 

When Gelta entered the place again a cheerful 
fire was blazing away, and the table was groaning 
beneath the weight of groceries which had been 
delivered. The charcoal man stood gazing in lost 
amazement ; at the wine and delicacies displayed ; 
and was speculating whether Gelta belonged to 
the great family of Kothschild the bankers. She 
soon interrupted his meditations by sending him 
to a Jewish restaurant to get a couple of roast 
fowls, then Gelta made Mrs. Silberwasser partake 
of a large cup of hot punch and some biscuits, 
to counteract the chill. 

‘‘ You are an angel from heaven ! ” exclaimed 
the poor widow. 

‘‘No, not from heaven,” Gelta replied sadly, 
“ only a poor wanderer on earth, who tries to 
walk in the path that leads to heaven,” and then 
she busied herself stowing the different groceries, 
etc., into the cupboard, relieving the table once 
more of its burden. Then she brewed some 
delicious tea. 

The charcoal man soon returned with a couple 
of nice roast fowls, he liad also stopped at several 
of the neighbors to tell them how this strange, 
beautiful lady had suddenly dropped in to see 
Mrs. Silberwasser, and how she scattered money 
to right and left, which accounted for a couple of 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


59 


middle aged, and a very old woman coming to 
call on the poor widow almost simultaneously as 
the man entered. Gelta asked him to look in 
during the week to see whether he could be of 
service to the poor helpless woman, who, during 
the allotted period of her ‘‘ Shiva ” could not 
leave the room ; then she paid and dismissed 
him. Gelta cut up a fowl and made the children 
sit down at the table and eat to their heart’s con- 
tent, while she helped the poor mother to some, 
and a cup of tea ; the three women stood in a 
corner gazing at her in silent admiration to see 
this beautiful young lady, with delicate, small 
white hands, whose fingers were covered with 
precious rings, cut into the coarse bread, and help 
the children to meat and tea, as if she had been 
used to that kind of work all her life. The cheer- 
ful fire had lit up the dingy place, the tea was 
drunk, the meal partaken of, an air of comfort, 
even of enjoyment, was diffused over this chamber 
which, but an hour back, was so desolate and un- 
happy. Gelta in a sweet low voice asked the 
women to leave her with Mrs. Silberwasser alone 
for a few moments, they at once retired to the 
street. Then she turned to the widow with 
cheering words, reminding her that God forsakes 
no one who lifts a sorrowing heart to Him, and 
she gave the sorrowing woman three pounds in 
gold wrapped up in one of her dainty little hand- 
kerchiefs, advising her to hide it, and not to let 
her neighbors know of the money, then she kissed 


60 


gelta: or, 


and received kisses from tlie laughing little ones, 
and pressing the widow’s hand, which was not 
released from the poor woman’s grasp until it 
had received a graceful kiss accompanied by 
scalding tears, she departed. 

Gelta soon found herself outside, and after say- 
ing a few kind words to the group of women wliom 
she had but a few moments before asked to leave 
the room, she placed half a sovereign in the old 
woman’s hand and enjoined her not to neglect the 
lonely widow and orphans ; then she hurried 
away while the women gazed after her retreating 
form murmuring all sorts of blessings. 

Gelta had been walking for several minutes, 
turning in and out of some of the little courts, 
when she became aware of the presence of a little 
form, that had been silently following her ; she 
stopped short, for it way little Moscher Silber- 
wasser. 

“What are you doing here?” Gelta asked 
quickly. 

He blushed and became confused, fearing that 
he had angered her, but the kindness of her voice 
as she softly asked him again, what he wanted, 
gave him courage to speak, for he managed to say 
Mutter said I should run after and kiss you ! ” 

“ And you ? ” she queried, as she bent down not 
unmoved to caress his pretty curls ; “ and you, 
Moscher, ” she repeated, “ do you care to kiss 

O ” 

me i 

Without replying he threw his dirty little 


THE CZAK AND THE CANTATRICE. 


61 


cliubbj^ arms around lier neck, and planted several 
pretty little kisses upon li^r clieek, wbicli she so 
invitingly held out to him. 

After pressing him affectionately to her bosom, 
she gave him several pennies, and made him 
promise that he would return home to his mamma 
immediately, and be a very good boy, and so they 
parted, Gelta looking after him to see that he 
took the right direction. 


. CHAPTER VIL 

‘‘My dear Senator! said Count Boroffsky to 
Senator Stencer the morning after the third ap- 
pearance, of Gelta Dechon at the Opera Comique. 
“What a superb type of ideal womanhood this 
American girl of yours is ! Ah 1 you ought to 
feel proud of her ?” 

The two men were breakfasting in the Count’s 
pretty pavilion. 

“ So I do 1 so does every true-born American, 
of their little compatriot, who in a foreign land, 
in the very kingdom of Art, is one of the very few 
wdiose talents everyone is eager to acknowdedge. 
What a magnetic being she must be to be able to 
chain a Parisian public to her chariot. Ah! if I 
could persuade her to join our cause ! ” 

“Just so, I sent you a note, this morning, only 
because I wished to see you most particularly be- 
fore you went to tUe American Legation, Affairs,” 


62 


gelta: or, 


continued Count Boroffsky, first looking cautiously 
around the room to see whether there were any 
listeners to his state secret, “Affairs are critical ! ” 
“ What ! have we been betrayed ? ” 

Boroffsky slowly shook his head. “ No, not 
betrayed,” he said, “but a hasty move on our 
chess board has for the moment stopped our plan. 

General G is dying.” 

Senator Stencer leaned back in his chair and 
delivered himself of an ejaculation. 

“ He may live a month,” said the Count, “ he 
cannot live two! It is the greatest of secrets; 
known at this moment only to the heads of the 
Imperial family, and myself ; and I communicate 
it to you my dear Senator, in that absolute con- 
fidence, which I fervently hope there will always 
be between us, because it is an event, that may 
greatly affect your career.” 

“ How so, dear Count ? ” 

“ I have arranged, that, on your wife’s account, 
you must remain for the present neutral, to our 
cause, and take no part at any rate for a time, in 
our actions. In the circumstances which we must 
now encounter the struggle will be fraught with 
greater dangers, and be more. severe than at any 
previous period, therefore in anticipation of my 
death, I cannot allow the natural protector or my 
sister, to take risks which might leave her alone 
in the world and unprotected ! ’ 

Senator Stencer silently ac(juiesced_and the 
Count continued. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


63 


‘‘It is absolutely necessary for a follower of our 
cause to enter Russia, to restore our broken 
communications, and arrange a new cypher! 
There is only one being to-da}^, who could cross 
the Russian frontier, journey to St. Petersburg, 
and move in the highest society, without creating 
the slighest suspicion, and that one, is, a most 
gifted woman, the beautiful Gelta Dechon 1” 

“ Dechon 1 you must find some other means to 
carry out your plans, I fear ; my dear Count, have 
I not for the last six months made every effort, to 
induce her to join us, but without the slightest 
success?” 

“But, my dear Senator, we must not relinquish 
the hope of winning this gifted girl; why, she 
would be simply invaluable to us, her magnetism 
would overpower the severest of diplomats, and 
make him pour out all his. State secrets to her. 
Oh yes! she must be won over, for she would be- 
come a very valuable instrument to our noble 
cause lie aaded almost with irritation, “and why 
should she not join us? is she not a Jewess, and 
possessed of all the Jewish sympathies and warm 
lieartedness, and is she not keenly alive to all the 
oppression and cruelty, heaped upon her race in 
the accursed domain of Russia‘S” 

“ Why yes. Count, she has often told me that 
her heart and sympathies are undeniably with her 
oppressed people, but at present she cannot dis- 
cern a remedy which would check Russian tyr- 
anny, and only sees that all attempts to do so^ are 


64 


gelta: or, 


futile, but stay! I have an idea. Why not try 
your marvelous hypnotic powers upon her; you 
know that I have always placed implicit faith in 
them; and you say yourself that you have the 
most absolute control over your subjects, I feel 
convinced that if you really endeavor to subdue 
this girl’s will to yours, you will succeed, and by 
so doing, accomplish a great triumph for our 
sacred cause.” 

“True, of late I have given the matter serious 
thought, but her indomitable will renders my 
effort powerless, she does not believe in hypnotic 
influences and only laughs at my theories. How- 
ever, I will not relinquish my efforts, the game is 
well worth the candle, and if we could only per- 
suade her that our cause is not hopeless, I am sure 
she would render us immense services. She ex- 
pects me to lunch with her to-day and you, my 
dear Senator, can afterwards bring her tidings of 
how proud the entire American colony is of her 
last night’s triumph.” 

“ Precisely,” said Senator Stencer, rising and 
consulting his watch, “ but I have an appointment 
with the American Minister concerning that 
Silver bill at eleven o’clock, and I must be off, as 
I have only a quarter of an hour in which to get 
there. However, I will not fail to call on Miss 
Dechon this afternoon,” 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


65 


CHAPTER VIIL 

Ivan Boroffsky, tlie father of the present 
Count had been appointed Attorney General to 

the town of 0 , one of the largest centres of 

Southern Russia, about the year 1840. He had 
been a widower several years, and had never been 
blessed with any children. He was no longer in 
his first youth, but it was easy to see that he had 
been a very handsome man with an elegant figure. 
He had always been a great favorite with ladies^ 
and had largely availed himself of this advan- 
tage. He had the reputation of being an un- 
commonly clever man, quite above the usual 
average. There was something enigmatical in 
the turn of his mind, in his way of talking, and 
in his intercourse with others. Many people 
deemed that he never said what he thought, and 
often fancied they discovered a covert meaning in 
his words. But in spite of all this, he could not 
be called a reserved man, on the contrary, like 
most eloquent people, he took an easy and brilliant 
part in conversation, and never affected that 
studied coldness, with which mediocrity often 
cover its defects. Every conversation with him 
left a deep impression on the mind of his inter- 
locutors, which it was not easy to get rid of. 
Such was Ivan Boroffsky when fate first brought 
him to the town of 0 , and there took him to 


66 


gelta: or, 


a ball at the Governor’s house, where he saw the 
only child and heiress of a wealthy Jewish mer- 
chant, the pretty Anna Cohen, who, notwith- 
standing the difference of religion quickly lost 
her heart to him, he likewise and for the first 
time during his varied amours experienced the 
real warmth of love. Notwithstanding the im- 
mense obstacles on both sides to be conquered, 
he at once set about with determination to 
make her the future Countess Boroffsky. Love 
triumphing, in due time they were married. Anna 
Boroffsky made him the proud and happy father 
of two pretty children, a boy and a girl. After 

five years sojourn in O , Ivan Boroffsky was 

summoned to St. Petersburg, where for many 
years he held a high place in the official world, 
receiving numerous honors and distinctions from 
the Czar. His wife endowed with the marvellous 
adaptability of her race, had succeeded through 
her charming personality and diplomatic affability 
in apparently becoming a general favorite in that 
brilliant circle of St. Petersburg, and many an 
unfortunate co-religionist, owed his release from 
the tyrannical punishments, of despotic subor- 
dinate officials to the subtle infiuence of this 
noble and smypathetic woman. 

Years had passed when young Boroffsky was 
suddenly summoned by his mother, the eve be- 
fore he was to pass his examination in surgery. 
He arrived home only to lament the irreparable 
loss of his father who had that morning been 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


67 


struck with appoplexy. After the first outburst 
of grief, he endeavored to render what solacp he 
could, to his bereaved mother, and sister. 

Scarcely a year had passed since the death of 
her husband when poor Anna Boroffsky began to 
perceive the adder stings thrust at her by her 
former friends, they could never in their hearts 
forgive her for having been born a Jewess, had 
she not been the recipient of their homage during 
her husband’s lifetime! But now that he was no 
more, this polished horde of Eussian aristocracy, 
savagely vented its poisonous salaver over the 
unprotected widow, whose husband had devoted 
and often risked his life to serve faithfully his 
master, the Czar. 

This change of front on the part of Society to- 
wards poor Anna Boroflfsky and her two grown 
children, was the climax of her misfortunes. 
However, Madame Boroffsky decided to dispose 
of some of her estates, in order to go to Paris 
and live among a more sympathetic and broader 
minded set of people, and also enable her son to 
finish his studies there. But poor, unprotected 
Anna was doomed never to quit St. Petersburg, 
for when Society heard that it was about to lose 
its prey, with the determination of a fury it set 
all sorts of calumnious reports in vogue, until 
one morning she was summoned by order of the 
Czar, as being connected with a nihilistic plot to 
assassinate the imperial family. The wretched 
woman upon hearing the accusation, knew that 


68 


GELTA : OR, 


slie was doomed to tlie most horrible, and degrad- 
ing,.of deaths. She begged leave of the officer to 
be allowed to change her robe cle chamhre for a 
walking costume, and upon being granted per- 
mission, she retired, and with the resignation, and 
fortitude, of her race, she hastily penned a few 
lines of adieus to her children who were at the 
time superintending some family matters upon 
one of her country estates, imploring them to 
leave Russia as soon as they could possibly do so. 
And having added blessings and hopes that they 
would all meet hereafter in heaven, she entrusted 
the note to a faithful old servant, then she entered 
the cabinet of her beloved son, and with a fervent 
prayer for her children’s welfare, took a large dose 
of laudanum, staggered back into the reception 
room, and fell dead at tli^i commissary’s feet. 

The officer, cursing himself for having allowed 
his victim for a few brief minutes out of his sight, 
and fearing that his own head would now fall if 
the truth were known, officially declared, that as 
soon as he had made known the object of his visit, 
the lady fell dead at his feet, struck by heart dis- 
ease That was why Count Boroffsky joined the 
Nihilists, 


Count Boroffsky was the chief agent in Paris 
who helped to complete the plot of getting Czar 
Alexander 2nd’s sojourn terminated on this planet. 
It was in his power to have stayed the dangerous 
hand, for he was in direct correspondence with 


The czar and the cantatrice. 


69 


some of the members of the imperial household, 
but, he asked himself, why should he stay the 
fatal bomb? Why should anyone, who is interested 
.in the welfare, and progress of humanity, desire 
the existence of an Alexander the Second? who 
during his whole reign from 1855 to 1881, the 
time of his assassination, though not such a blood- 
thirsty and relentless torturer as his father 
Nicholas I, still proved himself a grasping bold 
oppressor of his helpless subjects. 

Without an atom of compunction. Count 
Borofifsky dedicated the head of Alexander the 
2ud to his many victims. 


CHAPTEK IX. 

A BOUDOIR whose walls, to the height of the 
door, were covered with a delicate silver-blue 
India silk, above which they were finished off 
with a narrow frieze whose background shaded 
from an almost yellowish tone, to a soft blue as it 
neared the cornice. Here and there were painted 
fiights of swallows, their blue, and grey, and 
white, plumage delicately indicated against the 
soft tones of the sky. The ceiling of French 
mirrors, looked like a silver lake, over w^hich tlie 
frieze with its flight of swallows seemed to float. 
The floor was stained and had a rich colored 
Chlidema square carpet in the centre. On one 
side of the window to the right, was a beautiful 


70 


gelta: oh, 


white writing-desk, inlaid with gold, in Byzantine 
design, upon which were littered letters, account 
books, writing materials, etc. Immediately above 
it hung a life size bust in oil of 'a handsome 
woman of about forty-five years. A cottage piano 
opposite to the left was heaped with musical 
works of the different celebrated composers, and 
scattered about in great profusion Avere fresh cut 
La France roses. Vases in every niche and cor- 
ner of the room were filled with these beautiful 
blushing buds. 

It Avas the morning after her third appearance 
in opera before a Parisian audience, that Gelta 
Dechon, robed in a simple but lovely yelloAV tea 
goAvn, her beautiful dark broAvn locks playing in 
Avild confusion about her exquisite neck, and 
shoulders, Avas reading a batch of journals Avhich 
her faithful maid had brought her Avith her cafe- 
au-lait, hurriedly perusing columns of criticism 
expressive of the highest praise of her last night’s 
impersonation, Avhen, glancing up, she caught the 
old servant’s look of suspense. 

“ Dear old Marianne,” she said, ‘‘ don’t look so 
serious, the papers are just lovely. Ah ! at this 
moment I feel that I could actually o’erstep the 
bounds of my cold nature and kiss, and hug, every 
one of those dear critics, Avho spoke so kindly of 
me.” 

“ My dear child,” answered the faithful servant, 
‘‘ I feel sure that they have not said half of the 
praise which you deserve.” 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


71 


Oh yes, dear Marianne they have, and much 
more, beside, one so seldom gets what one really 
deserves, in this hurrying bustling world, and it 
is for this reason, that I feel so grateful to God, 
and so glad in my gratitude. Ah! Marianne,” 
she sighed, “ my happiness would have been com- 
plete, if only my darling mother had lived, to 
share my continued triumph,” and then the tears 
welled up from both those loving hearts. 

After a silent pause Gelta gently turned to her 
faithful servant, and bade her leave her alone for 
a while, and gave orders that she was not at 
home, except to Count BorojBfsky, whom she had 
asked to lunch with her that day. 

Marianne bowed and quietly left the room. 

Finding herself alone once more, Gelta threw 
herself into her favorite fauteuil, and sat lost for 
a while in sweet, sad reveries, gazing at the beau- 
tiful portrait in oil of her deceased mother, which 
hung on the wall over her escritoire. 

Surveying the placid life-like features, Gelta 
found herself wondering, not for the first time, 
how those artistic gifts, of which she had just 
been reading in all the papers, had sprung out of 
such ancestry as she knew was hers — long sober 
generations of Kabbi’s and scholars, of gentlemen 
and women, instinct with simple piety. Perhaps 
it was intermixture that had generated the 
electric spark, for her mother was a Hungarian, 
her father French, while the child herself had 
been born in the State of Louisiana. 


72 


gelta: or, 


Mrs. Declion being left a widow the first year 
after her marriage. She determined after Gelta’s 
birth to reside in France, and devote herself to 
educate her daughter, but before the latter 
reached her twentieth year, Mrs. Dechon con- 
tracted a cold and died within a few days. 

‘‘Dearest mother,” she thought, “ why should 
I have been so severely punished, as to loose 
that precious mother, the sole and only being on 
whose deep, unselfish love, I could rely always, 
why is it, that those who are good, and full of 
reverence for all that is good, and pure, should 
be so severely tried by God, severed from that 
which is nearest and dearest, one’s own mother, 
whose hallowed love can never, never be re- 
placed.” “ Yes,” she ejaculated aloud as if talk- 
ing to someone, “ I am very wretched, dreadfully 
so. What is the outward glamor, to the inward 
numbness of heart?” 

A gentle tap at the door for one brief moment 
attracted her attention. Looking aside she saw 
the faithful old Marianne on the threshold an- 
nouncing Count Boroffsky. 

“Bid him enter,” she said, and then lapsed 
again into her clay dream. 

Count Boroflfsky entered the pretty boudoir 
with the ease of an old family friend, for Gelta’s 
mother had been one of his most devoted ad- 
mirers, and warmest sympathizers, knowing the 
reason for his hatred, of the Russian oppressor. 

He stood silently gazing at the enchanting 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


73 


picture before him, of this willowy brunette^ 
whose perfect form was draped in an amber 
colored robe, which gave one the idea of fitting 
like a glove, and withal, hanging so loose and 
'negligee that with the slightest movement of the 
body, it would ripple into waves, that followed 
the beautiful outlines of her exquisite curves. 
He, himself, as he stood silently contemplating 
his subject, was not less picturesque. He was 
about forty-five years old, and combined the dark 
eyes and the olive complexion of his mother, 
with his father’s tall athletic figure. 

After a few moments silence, seeing that she 
had not noticed his entrance, he interruped her 
preoccupied mind with ‘‘ my dear child, I am so 
delighted to see you, and to be the first, to con- 
gratulate you, in propria-persona upon last night’s 
success. Oh, you were superb in voice, beauty 
and — ” 

“There, there. Count,” she said interrupting 
him, “no flattering you know, I get so much of it 
from the indifferent crowd, that from my Jeio in- 
timate friends, I must exact the pill of sincerity, 
without the sugar coating.” 

“But Gelta, I protest for I am always sincere 
with you!” 

“Well, pray don’t let us begin to differ before 
luncheon for it will spoil your appetite, and you 
must not do so before paying homage to my 
cordon hleu's courses. But tell me, have you 
heard lately from your dear sister?” 


14 


Gelta: ok, 


^ Oh yes, her husband the Senator arrived by 
an early train this morning, in time to breakfast 
Avith me, he says the bracing air of Enghien has 
improved Sacha’s health wonderfully.” 

“I am so delighted to hear that.” 

“ By the bye, the Senator is coming to pay his 
homage to you after lunch.” 

‘‘Ah! yes I know,” she laughingly said, “an- 
other flatterer. You men are all alike.” 

“Now Gelta you should not judge all men 
alike.” 

“And why not? are you not all flatterers? and 
do you not all attempt to make love to every 
w^oman you meet?” 

“By that you mean to accuse me of having tried 
to make love to you.” 

“Well,” she queried with an arch smile, “is it 
not true?” 

“Oh yes,” he laughingly replied, and warming 
up with true Parisian gallantry said, “avIio Avould 
not attempt to speak of love when finding himself 
in the presence of a superb Avoman Avith the form 
and beauty of a Goddess, and a mind like Min- 
erva’s?” 

“There, there. Count that Avill do.” 

“Who would not,” he continued, interrupting 
her, “worship at the shrine of so much purity?” 

“Which you attempted to convert,” she inter- 
rupted laughingly, “to your own naughty views.” 

Airily as she spoke he felt the adamantine Avill 
behind the light Avords. With a sudden spasm 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


75 


of hopelessness, he resolved to show his cards. 
Candor might achieve, what cunning had missed. 

Forgive me,’' he said, “ if I spoke of love to 
you, it was the cause I had at heart.” 

‘‘ The cause ! The cause ? ” she queried, and sat 
back astonished in her fauteuil. 

“Yes divine Gelfca, it was for the sake of our 
cause. For that same reason Signor Monte had 
been diffusing his sighs, whenever he could, in 
your sweet presence, and when your severity for- 
bade that, he sighed beneath your window; and 
that has been the method we have both pursued, 
these twelve months, in order to see whether 3’ou 
were really as firm in character, and immovable 
from your set idea of what is right, as you 
seemed, and whether you could really resist the 
manly fervor, and passionate pleading of an 
Adonis like Leo Monti.” 

“How many more of my so-called admirers?” 
she asked, a cynical smile hovering over her face 
like a stray sunbeam, “ how many more of my 
heart-smitten friends, for you know,” she said, 
“there are about a dozen, who profess undying 
love for me, tell me, how many of them are in the 
enemy’s camp ? ’ 

“ Oh, about seven or eight,” he answered lightly, 
then becoming more serious, he said, “really 
Gelta you, a JeAvess, could never designate our 
noble band, your enemies.” 

“ No, Count, not if 3"ou put it in that light — but 
let us discuss this matter as between man and 


76 


gelta: or, 


womau,” and then she seriously continued, “ so 
while you all enjoyed my hospitality, and friend- 
ship ; you did not for a moment hesitate, to attack 
my heart ; and had it yielded to the pressure of 
the fevered hand, it would have been afterwards 
carelessly tossed aside. Meanwhile being melted 
out of form, and shape ; and this would have been 
the unscrupulous work, of- some of my so-called 
friends.’* 

“Pardon me, but you were not a woman who 
would yield, this was our impression from the 
very first.” 

“ And now,” she said slowly. 

“ And now",” he repeated, bowing courteously, 
“ our unanimous opinion is that the citadel is im- 
pregnable.” 

A silver laugh broke from her lips, as an emblem 
of forgiveness ; “ Keally, Count,” she added after 
a moment’s merriment, “ I must admit that your 
band’s method, of converting, one to Nihilism, is 
unique ! and may I,” she sarcastically continued, 
“ add rather pleasant to the convertors.” 

“ Oh, how you wrong us men !” he rej)lied wdth 
a touch of sadness in his voice. 

“ Wrong you !” she interrupted, getting excited 
in her delivery, “ wrong you, it well becomes you 
to say so, it is so characteristic of man to attempt 
to do the uttermost mischief that lies within his 
power, and if he meets defeat where he least ex- 
pected it — w"hy then he cries out to the gods, of 
llow he has been wronged. Eeally Count it is 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


77 


very farcical and she threw nerself back amid 
the cushions of her fauteuil, and indulged in a 
long hearty laugh. 

He stood in an attitude of humility with his 
head bowed like a general who had been defeated, 
and taken prisoner, — for he was only human, 
though he had sacrificed love, and all the sacred 
ties, to the cause of stamping out oppression, still 
this beautiful child, so fair in girlhood’s lovliness, 
so pure, and high minded, so extraordinarily in- 
telligent, and so thoroughly accomplished ; who 
could remain indifferent in her presence? Al- 
though his head was bowed, his eyes gazed into 
hers, as he seriously replied, “yes, you wrong ns 
men; Gelta you do not know or cannot, as a girl 
understand the torture q. man endures, wdien ho 
makes love to a woman, when his passions get 
roused to the highest pitch, and when he can hope 
for no consolation from the object, sought with 
such emotional fervor.” 

“ But tell me. Count,” she asked interrupting 
his passionate outburst, “ tell me ; you, and your 
conspiring friends, have never suffered the tortures 
which you speak of, since you have never given 
the object to whom you, and they, attempted to 
make love to, a moment’s feeling, or serious 
thought, since it is all done to gain converts, for 
the good of your cause, since it is simply, a me- 
chanical device, to serve your purpose.” 

“ It may be a device,” he interposed, “ yet it by 
no means follows; that the deviser escapes suffer- 


78 


gelta: or, 


iu". Man lacks that keen, calcnlative penetration, 
which nature has endowed your charming sex 
with. Do you for a moment suppose,” he con- 
tinued, “ that man would ever seek the society of 
a pretty woman, would ever attempt to kiss her, 
allow his passionate nature to dwell upon thoughts 
of love, while grafting her image on his mind, if, 
in the secret chamber of his heart he did not feel 
convinced, that he would eventually overthrow 
the theories of his fair antagonist ? Certainly not ! 
If he actually realized the hopelessness of his at- 
tempt, man would shrink from his boldly laid plot, 
like a child before a dragon. For he well knows 
the penalty which nature exacts, from those who 
attempt to juggle with her emotions. No, my fair 
enchantress” he went on, ‘^you may rest assured 
that man has not the deep penetration, which is 
your sex’s great weapon of defence, for man goes 
forth to entangle the weaker sex, when to his 
amazement he discovers, that he himself, is hope- 
lessly entangled.” 

“ And a blessing it is to my sex,” she answered 
“ to be able so deftly to punish, man’s conceited 
temerity.” 

‘‘Therefore,” he continued, “you must imagine 
how many sacrifices of physical and mental suffer- 
ing my brethren and I are willing to endure in the 
cause of justice, if we venture to face the danger 
of your fascinations. For our noble band has 
sworn solemnly never to marry, never for a brief 
moment to consider one’s personal feelings 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


79 


comforts. Our eutire life and deatli have been 
dedicated to only one sacred aim, and that is, to 
eradicate the unjust tryanny of Eussia!” 

“ My dear Count,” she said, “ you have my 
warmest smypathy.” 

‘‘We want more,” he replied, coming close to 
her chair, and looking cautiously about him. Then 
bending over her, he whispered, “ Gelta, we want 
more than sympathy from you, we want you to 
join our cause in action, to be the Jeioish Joan of 
Arc, and help to crush oppression beneath our 
feet.” 

“ My dear Count the project is pure insanity.” 

“ There are times,” he retorted “ when the sub- 
lime insanity of one moment, seems saner than 
the sanity of the flat years.” 

“ But Count,” she interposed — 

“ Don’t, don’t pray interrupt me,” he replied, 
“until you have heard what we have mapped out 
for you and with low rapid speech he continued, 

“ since the death of General B , our mode of 

communication has been discovered, our slightest 
movements are watched by a thousand spying 
eyes, there is only one person, who can to-day 
enter the Eussian frontier, proceed to St. Peters- 
burg, be entertained by the elite of Eussian 
society, without ever rousing the slightest sus- 
picion. If you will only say the word yes! the 
rest would be easy, very easy. For you well know 
that I am the family physician of our Eussian 
minister here, and that the director of the St, 


80 


gelta: or, 


Petersburg Opera liouse is an old friend ; don’t 
you see, liow between the Russian Minister at 
Paris, and the director at St. Petersburg, they 
could easily facilitate matters, without ever sus- 
pecting the real object, it would only be render- 
ing me, their friend, a personal favor. If after 
your pronounced success of last night, in a month 
or so, your physician recommended you to a 
change of climate, to recuperate your health, and 
if you received an advantageous offer, from tho' 
directors of St. Petersburg, to appear before a 
Russian audience, for a few limited concerts, and 
operatic performances, with the American and 
Russian Ministers at Paris as your social sponsers, 
the door of the imperial family itself ; would be 
thrown open to welcome the beautiful American 
nightingale. Then when you are there, you have 
only to communicate a new cypher, to one of our 
brethren, and the Czar with his family in a year 
hence, will count no more. The Russian people 
are realizing the necessity, of a constitutional 
government, and tyranny will have received its 
death blow forever.” 

Gelta during all these explosions of thought, 
sat with calm sad eyes, gazing at the Count, as the 
lights and shades played on his countenance, now 
rendered thoroughly handsome, by the excited 
.outbursts of his soul. She knew the sad story of 
his life. Knew his beloved mother had been 
hounded to her death, how millions, innocent like 
her, were at this very moment passing through the 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


81 


same tliroes of agony, having their hearts blood 
spilled, and scattered, to the winds, and all for 
what ? All through Russian tyranny ; all through 
the iron rod in the hand of the Czar ! in whose 
name his officers ; and councillors, rain blows on 
the heads of his most devoted subjects. Yet what 
could a tiny handful of enthusiastic martyrs ac- 
complish? Nothing! All this Gelta was for the 
hundredth time silently revolving in her active 
brain, struggling to discover some faint means, 
besides dynamite, by which the wretched people 
of Russia could hope for deliverance, but no ! it 
all seemed so very dark, so very impenetrable. 
Nothing 1 she mentally concluded, could save the 
suffering people and no one, but God! Oh! if He 
only would take compassion upon human misery, 
as he did when he delivered the children of Israel, 
from the Egyptian oppressor. 

Count Boroffsky seeing her plunged in deep 
thought, without apparently offering any resist- 
ance to his arguments, stood in front of her with 
rivetted eyes, endeavoring his utmost to bring his 
supposed power of hypnotism to subdue this ac- 
complished strong-minded girl to his will. With 
mental rapture he watched her dilated eyes, look- 
ing far into space. 

“The first hypnotic symptoms,” he thought, 
“are taking effect; if I can only keep her mind 
under this infiuence, for one half hour, then she 
will be ours, then she will obey our bidding.” 
And he stood motionless, with outstretched hands 


82 


GELTA : OR, 


before ber, the liypnotizer watching his subject, 
the physician watching his patient, and now feel- 
ing convinced, that eventually nature must yield, 
to the scientist! 

Returning from her mental peregrination, she 
stirred, her lips moved, she whispered, “ Oh, if 
God would only take compassion on them.” 

“God!” he exclaimed, “No, Gelta, God does not 
trouble with us here. It is ive men who do the 
wrong! man’s inhumanity to man, and therefore 
upon us devolves the responsibility to right the 
wrong, and if justice cannot be accomplished 
through right, why then it must be done through 
might! You know the old adage: ‘All’s fair in love 
and war.’ It is not the weapons we employ, but 
the justifiable end, to benefit humanity, which we 
are pursuing, which is the cause of our noble 
heroes, and heroines, having pledged their lives, 
to root out the pest which devastates Russia.” 

“Ah! Count,” she said, becoming once more her 
energetic self, “you talk like the true surgeon, who 
does not hesitate to cut deep into the human 
flesh, if it is eventually to relieve the patient from 
his suffering, and therefore the knife becomes a 
divine instrument, but there, you have carefully 
studied the subject, and thoroughly reasoned it 
out — but what lucid reason, can there be, in your 
present method of action? None! you all know me 
thoroughly well enough, to understand, that there 
is not one atom of fear, nor selfishness, in my 
nature — and if by devoting, aye, sacrificing my life. 


THE CZAR AN® THE CANTATRICE. 


S3 


I could bring relief to my oppressed fellow beings, 
then my only regret would be, that I had not a 
hundred lives, to dedicate to the cause! You know 
very well how keenly alive I am, to the insults, 
heaped upon the proud ancient house ot Israel, 
the chosen people of God, ancestors of great 
kings, prophets, of warriors, poets, musicians, the 
Jewish woman,” she continued with enthusiasm, 
‘"who stands out pre-eminently as an emblem of 
purity, since God saw fit to choose a Jewish 
maiden as the mother of Christ. Does it not seem 
sadly ludicrous, that these so-called Christians, 
should worship Jesus, while directing the greatest 
insults against his relatives, whose parents, were 
his ancestors? Is it not a disgrace to modern civi- 
lization, that such barbarous prejudices should 
be tolerated, or allowed against any race, or sect, 
because of a political error which their ancestors 
may have committed? No, Count, we are not so 
civilized as we think we are, for with all our 
vaunted civilization, we have made very little ad- 
vance, within the last two thousand years. The 
world is still hid in its black cloak of barbarity, 
still immured, in the dungeon, of its narrow ideas, 
and petty prejudices, which will not permit pro- 
gressive thoughts, or enlightened minds, to enter 
its portals. With the exception of dear America, 
France, and merrie old England, God bless them 
all; in what other country can a man go to the 
church of his choice, harbor his own theological 
theories, and yet feel that love of fellowship, to^ 


84 


delta: ok. 


wards liis neighbor, who perhaps, worships, his 
God, in a manner differing, much from his own 
method? Still, that does not prevent him from 
feeling the good will, towards his neighbor, it does 
not make him harbor hidden dislikes, because the 
other man worships his God, from a different chap- 
ter in the Bible. Of course we owe this liberty of 
thought to the three grandest nations in the world, 
whose enlightened governments stand pre-emi- 
nent, upon the firm, foundation, of justice and 
truth ! And may they forever remain, the beacon 
light of true civilization.” 

Count Boroffsky stood silently gazing at her; 
he could not refrain from inwardly admiring her 
logical eloquence, but as her beautiful counte- 
nance resumed its normal repose, his heart mis- 
gave him, he felt his air castles, built upon 
hypnotic theories, crumble beneath him, he felt 
vaguely convinced, that hypnotism, in his sense 
of interpretation, did not exist. The scientist for a 
brief moment realized that he had been pursuing 
a phantom, which when clutched yields no sub- 
stance to the grasp, simply a delusion, nothing 
more ! Still, he did not interrupt her, and Gelta 
continued : 

“Do you know Count,” she said, “a feeling has 
for some time pervaded me, that one day, perhaps 
it may yet be a distant day, still I think that be- 
fore another hundred years shall have passed, 
Russia’s tyranny, will be abolished, through the 
combined efforts, of America, and England. They 


a?HE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


85 


do not realize as yet, that it is their duty to inter- 
fere, for those distant sufferers, but some day it 
will dawn upon them, as a mission from God, that 
it is their sacred duty, to go forth, and deliver the 
helpless Russians^ from the bondage, beneath 
which they at present writhe, just as North Amer- 
ica went against the South, to right the wrongs 
of the negro slave. You know that as a native 
Southern girl, I ought to feel pained at the North’s 
interference, but I don’t; on the contrary, I rever- 
ence and ardently love, the North; for having 
irrevokably, lifted the cloud of ignominity, that 
was hovering over the South. It is to the glori- 
ous North, we owe the respect, with which other 
nations, now must regard us.” 

^‘But,” said the Count, his face once more 
beaming with a suppressed hope, ‘‘if through our 
noble little band this grand event were to pre- 
cipitate the delivery of Russia, if through our be- 
havior, we could attract, the attention of England 
and America, and thereby concentrate their gaze 
upon the tortured Russian, then it might precipi- 
tate their interference.” 

“No, Count believe me, you and your followers, 
are laboring under a sad mistake,” she answered, 
‘‘I feel that all your attempts at aiming at the 
Czar’s death for peace’s sake, are futile! Too 
much has there been of it. And what has been 
the results? A certain number of assassinations; 
some noisy explosions of dynamite, and no more, 
when the smoke has cleared all has been found 


86 


gelta: or, 


to be as before. Believe me, if tlie present Czar 
should be assassinated, another would succeed 
him, perhaps even more cruel, and then,’’ she con- 
tinued, an angelic light like a halo crowning her 
beautiful face, ‘‘what a grand triumph, for the 
Czar it would be, one which would compel the ad- 
miration of the world, if one could reach the 
lieart of this Emperor, and through his own kind 
magnanimity, have him ease the yoke of his 
people.” At this extravagant remark, the Count 
shrank back with a surprised and sardonic laugh ! 

“Ah, my child,” he sighed, “you cannot realize 
what a fiend this being is; who stands invested 
with the title of Czar.” 

At this juncture Marrienne appeared and an- 
nounced lunch. 

“Come Count,” said Gelta, arising and gently 
taking hold of his arm, “come let us to dejeuner, 
for after our long discussion I feel very hungry, 
and you know,” she laughingly continued, “we 
singers usually are endowed with tremendous 
appetites.” 

“You simply pretend to be in a jesting mood,” 
lie answered seriously, “so as to indicate, that my 
appeal has made no impression.” 

“No Count,” she interposed slowly, “my heart, 
and sincere sympathies, have always been with 
you, and your noble followers, but you are mis- 
guided, in your mode of procedure; and as I can- 
not suggest a remedy, I desire to remain neutral! 
I cannot, and will not, implicate myself in a battle. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


87 


where the chance for success seems hopeless!” 
And with a determined look she continued, “let 
us not discuss this subject again, as my having 
to refuse, is very annoying to myself, and to my 
friends, and now once for always, since we thor- 
oughly understand each other; let us go and en- 
joy our lunch.” 


CHAPTEE X. 

It was spring. In spring Paris takes on, as 
does no other city, something of the savor and 
seduction of a pretty woman, and in the perfumed 
air, particularly in the Bois, there is a headiness 
that will intoxicate. 

Three months had passed since Gelta’s success- 
ful third visit to Paris had caused her name and 
talents to become a household word wherever 
she chose to look. She saw herself invariably 
praised, and yet her inward soul yearned for some- 
thing more lasting than the momentary applause 
of the fleeting crowd. Most other girls would have 
been extremely happy in her position, but Gelta 
was so different, from other girls. She would 
always think of those, whose life, was so full of 
darkness, she would always contrast her pleasant 
surroundings, with those of her less fortunate sis- 
ters, then she would feel a pang of sorrow vibrate 
through her brain, and she would say to herself 
that she had no right to exult in her happiness. 


88 


gelta: on, 


whilst there w^as so much misery, amongst liuman- 
ity, without giving their sufferings a thought, 
without offering her mite, to soften the sorrow, of 
those, so bowed beneath misfortune. And then 
she felt deeply pained, after reading every day 
the daily despatches, depicting the cruel, perse- 
cution, of her race in Russia, and the humiliation 
heaped upon Judaism, the mother of religion, from 
which Catholicy, Protestantism and many other 
sects, were the offspring, and to see these, her own 
descendants, insult her in her old age, while pro- 
gress was marching forward, without pausing to 
castigate, the unnatural offspring, was indeed a 
very sad spectacle to contemplute, and poor Gelta’s 
heart was filled with intense pain, at her own 
helplessness. ‘‘Oh!’* she thought, “if I could 
only prove a second Queen Esther ! to be able to 
plead, before the Czar for my people, to be able 
to obtain, his goodwill, toward the Jews, I would 
willingly offer my life as a sacrifice.” Then she 
thought of all that Count Boroffsky had said to 
her so often, of how callous and inhuman the 
Czar was, and how it even lay within her power 
to have the Czar, and his family, hurried out of 
the world. But no, her heart, the heart of the 
true Jewess, shrank from a deed so brutal, a deed 
of blood and murder; all the Jewish antipathy, 
rose with noble horror, at the imaginary sight, of 
the revolting deed. “No,” she mentally con- 
cluded, “in future I will not listen to any of Bor- 
offsky’s nihilistic plots; it must not be through 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


89 


treachery, or murder, that the Jews shall be re- 
stored, to their ancient high position; it is their 
superior morals and tlKiughts that must eventu- 
ally gain them, their high, and just recognition, 
from all the other races. No! it must not be ac- 
complished through treachery or bloodshed, but 
on the contrary, through love, pure, divine love, 
such an unselfish love, as one of our holy brethren 
preached, thousands of years ago ! whose memory 
and name the Gentiles adore ! but not liis preach- 
ing. They mumble aloud the name of Christ, so 
that they might be overheard by their neighbors, 
while they shut Him, and His divine teachings of 
good will towards men, out of their selfish hearts, 
and this is the fashionable religion of to-day. 
Oh, how much more satisfactory to the inward 
soul, were a tiny grain of holy love, and purity of 
feeling, toward suffering and downcast mankind, 
than a mountainous display of pompous vanity, 
and empty chaff. And then she once more re- 
flected, that perhaps the Czar, is not so callous, 
at heart, as report says, perhaps if one could 
reach the good spark of his soul, that divine 
spark of heaven, which lies hidden, in the inner 
recess, in the most hardened, of human beings — 
perhaps if it were found, and fanned into a flame, 
he would yet be a noble ruler 1” 

And then she thought, ‘‘ I have been told so 
many times by both the sexes, that I am possessed 
of the power of magnetic personality, which per- 
force attracts ; and if such is really the case, then 


90 


gelta: oe, 


is it not my duty to go to St. Petersburg, to 
endeavor to fascinate the Ozar, in order to gain 
his good will towards the unhappy House of 
Israel ? ” Then suddenly she started up from her 
seat and began to pace hurriedly up and down the 
room. “ What madness ! ” she said aloud to her- 
self, as the idea of going to St. Petersburg seemed 
to take a fixed hold upon her. “It is such a 
chimeric idea, this power of magnetism, and I am 
really astonished, at myself, for having one brief 
moment indulged in the absurd thought. No, 
there is only one power to invoke, the power of 
the Almighty. He will guide me,” 


CHAPTER XI. 

The world is strange ! nothing happens that we 
anticipate, when apparently stiffled by the com- 
monplace, we are on the brink of stepping into 
the adventurous ! Life is adventurous. Events 
are perpetually occurring even in the calmness of 
domestic existence, which change in an instant, 
the whole train and tenor of our thoughts and 
feelings, and often materially influence our for- 
tunes and our character. It is strange and some- 
times as profitable, as it is singular, to recall our 
state, on the eve of some acquaintance, which 
transfigures our being, with some man whose 
philosophy revolutionizes our mind ; with some 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


91 


woman whose charms metamorphose our career. 
Those retrospective meditations, are fruitful of 
self knowledge. 

Three months had elapsed since Gelta’s return 
to Paris. After a few days rest she had taken up 
her old work in order to shut out new thoughts 
and feelings which were constantly assailing her ! 
It was just because all her feelings ran down to 
the roots of her life, and that each was as real as 
the other, that she found such a difficulty in 
reckoning with them. She was endeavoring to 
fly from her own self. Notwithstanding the con- 
stant excitement, and the many visitors, that 
always surrounded her, a great change had taken 
place within her. For the flrst time since her 
childhood, the proud refractory feelings of her 
heart, were subdued, and a deep sensation of joy, 
mingled with a dull pain, pervaded her ; and on 
top of all the waves of emotion, that surged up 
within her, was the sympathetic face of Count 
Varicoff, like an angel of light, imploring her to 
sail with him into a new, and undiscovered 
world ; where the harbor of divine love could be 
reached ! 

At such times she would piteously stretch out 
her hands to dismiss the sight from her mind, and 
then to rouse herself, would indulge in drives, and 
scenes of excitement, in order to drown, the one 
yearning of her heart. Count Boroffsky was one 
of her frequent guests, and although he had still 
persisted since her return from London in coaxing 


02 


gelta: or, 


lier to join liis cause, and to visit St. Petersburg, 
she had determined never to get entangled with 
plots and conspiracies of any kind, so he 
eventually abandoned the hope of enlisting her 
services. Still he was one of the few devoted 
friends whom she really trusted, for he felt almost 
a paternal interest in her welfare. 

He had of late silently observed a marked 
change in her, she seemed sad, at times distracted^ 
she would converse with friends, and her eyes 
would wander beyond them, gazing into empty 
space. 

One Sunday after the coffee had been served in 
her salon, (Boroffsky having that day lunched 
with her), she, after having sipped her coffee in 
good old Turkish style, suddenly threw off for a 
moment her serious manner, and became en- 
raptured with the holy fire of her old enthusiasm, 
for music, and song. He sat silently observing 
her attempt, at light-heartedness, then shook his 
head in the negative. 

“No! Gelta,” he murmured slowly, “you cannot 
deceive me ! you are deeply in love 1 ” 

“In love!” she exclaimed utterly disconcerted 
at the dreadful revelation, which she had en- 
deavored not to admit even to herself! “I, in 
love!” she continued, “What put that absurd 
idea into your head ? ” 

“Well, I am a man, and have studied, and do 
study, by preference, the female heart, the finest 
and most wonderful of nature’s work. As a 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


93 


physician, and from a scientific stand-point, I am 
interelsted in its different symptoms,” and then 
drawing liis chair nearer to hers, and taking hold 
of her wrist to feel her pulse he concluded, “ Yes 
Gelta, you are deeply in love ! the fever is not yet 
thoroughly developed, but its symptoms have 
already arrived.” 

‘^Eeally, Doctor!” she answered mockingly, 
‘‘ and as a phj^sician, what antidote do you pre- 
scribe?” 

‘‘ Marriage,” he promptly replied. 

Instead of receiving his prescription with a 
hearty laugh, she leaned back in her chair with 
serious mien and plaintive voice, murmuring, 
“It is sad, very sad, that marriage, should cure 
love 1 ” 

“ Not at all,” he smilingly interposed, “ it simply 
allays the fever 1 ” 

“ Marriage ! Marriage 1 ” she slowly mused. 
She had never thought of marriage unless to 
laugh at it, and now she discovered, that an un- 
known, and mighty emotion, had taken hold of 
her. She saw at her feet an immense castle 
crumbling. — Until now, she had calmly and firmly 
believed in will power, and now, she felt this 
will strangely battling, with a greater power. — 
Marriage 1 she mused, and then continued aloud. 

“ Doctor, I am afraid that I shall never marry 1 ” 

“ And why ? ” he asked with an incredulous 
smile. 

“Why,” she repeated, “ Because you ought to 


94 


gelta: oe, 


know me sufficiently well, by this time, to feel 
that I will never marry a man, whom I do not 
deeply love, that I will never perjure myself, as 
nine-tenths of the women do, by swearing at the 
altar, that they love, and will continue to love 
their husbands, when in reality, they only feel a 
very faint affection for them, sometimes, not even 
that. In circumstances so deplorable, marriage 
with all its ceremonies, including the church, 
bridesmaids, and relatives, is nothing but a sacri- 
legious farce. Then again, another great obstacle 
lies in my path! I am a Jewess, and in the 
nature of things, I am supposed to marry within 
the bounds of my religion, and supposing, inde- 
pendent of my will, I fall deeply in love, with a 
Gentile, and you know, ” she said, “ I number 
some of my dearest friends, among them, you 
also know, when we, of our race, love, it is 
deeply, and for life. ’ 

“ Well, if you were really in love witli a Gentile, 
you certainly would marry him,” he answered. 

‘‘ I don’t think I should, ” she quietly replied, 
“ not because of prejudice, ” she quickly added, 
“ ohj no 1 for it is only very, very ignorant and 
narrow-minded persons who harbor prejudice, 
that is something I am thankful to say, which I 
have never felt. No, I may pityingly look on the 
petty insults that are thrust against the Jews, 
because of their race, by narrow, insignificant 
people who are incapable of loft}' thoughts, but 
their erring conduct, would never arouse pre-p 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


95 


juclice within me. Ob, no, buly a deep pity for 
their ignorance. However, I feel I would never 
marry a Gentile for the simple reason, that I con- 
tend, that every one should marry within the 
bounds of his own religion, so that between hus- 
band, and wife, there should not exist the slightest 
shadow of a thought, apart from each other. To 
my idea, true marriage means, the same views, the 
same feelings, the same desires, the same aims.” 

“ Two sonls with but a single thought, 

Two hearts that beat as one.” 

‘^Ah,” she sighed, “if I could only meet a man 
of my own religion, for whom my heart would 
throb, and who would sincerely love me in re- 
turn, what a truly happy couple we should be ! 
to build one’s own little Paradise, with each 
other’s love, and both live there — sheltered from 
the world’s cares ! ” 

“ You ask,” he gravely replied, “ for what people 
seldom get! ” 

“Is my desire so unreasonable a one?” she de- 
manded in sweet, plaintive tones. 

“No, far from it,” he answered, “and happy 
the mortal who shall ever have the right to call 
you his — but, ” and he paused, sadly looking at 
her, “But ” 

“ But ? ” she queried. 

“ The truth is, ” he replied, “ that women like 
you, women who harbor your noble ideas, regard- 
ing love, and marriage, are doomed to many- 
severe disappointments of the heart.” 


96 


gelta: or, 


And wliy ” she asked, “ why ? ” 

“ Why ? because we very rarely find, that, which 
we are anxiously seeking. For example, if I could 
feel that there would be a possible chance, of 
ever winning you, for my wife ; I would become 
that which you \vould have me be ! I would not 
leave a stone unturned, until I had succeeded ; 
and if your faith stood against me, why I would 
at once embrace Judaism, for, you know, I have 
Jewish blood in me, my cherished mother having 
been a noble daughter of the House of Israel ! 

‘‘ Yes, I know, ” she dreamily interposed, while 
the face that had for several months occupied her 
mind’s eye was irresistably drawing her towards 
him. “ I know,” she answered with sweet, sad 
voice, “ you are devoted to me, I look upon you 
almost as a father, for you are about his age had 
he lived — but pray, never, never speak to me of 
love again 1 ” 

“You see, ” he murmured slowly, “the heart 
can never get that which it really yearns for, ” 
and with a tinge of hopeless despair in his voice, 
he said, “ henceforth I will visit you less fre- 
quently ; in fact, I will see as little of you as pos- 
sible — but always remember this,” he continued, 
with suppressed emotion, “no matter at what 
future time, or in whatever part of the world, you 
may be, I will alwa}s watch over you ; and if you 
should ever need the council, or help, of a true, 
devoted friend, you may always rely on me. Let 
us at least agree upon one point, and that is, that 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


97 


although you will seldom or never hear from me 
direct, still, I want j^ou to feel sure of my un- 
swerving love, pardon, I mean devotion, which 
will only terminate, with life itself. Then he 
clasped her hand which he held in silence for a 
few moments, and reverently imprinting a fare- 
well upon it with his lips, he quickly left the 
room. 

During all this Gelta had sat quiet, without 
interrupting him, and now that he was gone, a 
deep melancholy pervaded her being, as she 
silently mused, “another friend lost!’’ and then 
she mentally asked herself, “ why is it that a man 
can talk of the deepest, holiest, feeling, love! and 
as soon as he finds it is not reciprocated, instead 
of accepting the friendship, which his loved object 
offers him, instead of being content, to be near the 
one, whom he sincerely declares he loves, he flies 
from her, abandons her, to all the dangers of the 
world ; never intends to approach her again ! and 
this is what man calls real love. Well!” she 
concluded, “ the man in love who flies from the ob- 
ject of his heart, can only be one of two things, a 
coward, or a philosopher, the former, because he 
shrinks from pain, or the latter, because he has 
the power to persuade himself, that the love, 
which has just been refused to him, he will be 
able to find elsewhere.” 


98 


gelta: or, 


CHAPTEE XIL 

What a mystery is love ! All the necessities and 
habits of our life sink before it. Food and sleep 
that seem to divide our beings, as day and night 
divide time, lose all their influence over the lover. 
He is a spiritualized being, fit only to live upon 
ambrosia, and slumber in an imaginary Paradise. 
The cares of the world do not touch him, its most 
stirring events are to him but the dusty incidents 
of by-gone annals. All the fortunes of the world 
without his mistress are misery, and with her all 
its mischances a transient dream ! O ! Love ! in 
vain they moralize; in vain they teach us that 
thou art a delusion ; in vain they dissect thine in- 
spiring sentiment ; and would mortify us into 
misery by its degrading analysis. The sage may 
announce that gratified vanity is thine aim and 
end, but the lover glances with contempt at his 
cold blooded philosophy. Nature assures him 
thou art a beautiful and sublime emotion ; and he 
answers, “ Canst thou deprive the sun of its heat 
because thou canst analyze its effulgence?” A 
man in love wanders in the world, as a som- 
nambulist with eyes that seem open to those that 
watch him ; yet in fact view nothing, but their 
own inward fancies. 

Upon Count VaricofiPs return home, he had de- 
termined to forget this beautiful young girl, whq 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


99 


had so suddenly entered the inner chamber of his 
heart, since not knowing even her name, he did 
not know where to search for her. He spent his 
days diligentl}^ attending to important State mat- 
ters, and his evenings were spent in a whirl of 
social entertainments. But suddenly in the midst 
of most important business, his mind’s eye would 
see the face, he was striving to forget. 

In the evening, while attending the opera, or a 
banquet, or perhaps dancing with some fair Eus- 
sian belle, at one of the brilliant Court balls ; her 
face would always present itself, and all else be- 
came a blank. She was constantly before him, at 
night in his dreams, until he became enraged 
with anger, and would almost strike her, for haunt- 
ing him, then a minute later he would stretch 
out his hands imploring her forgiveness, and 
burst into a torrent of tears; as if his heart had 
exploded. 

At the end of three months, he confessed to 
himself, that he had never known until then, the 
depth of his own feelings, in thinking he could 
forget her! “No,” he mentally concluded, “ why 
wish to root out the feeling he had for her? 
which, even hopeless as it was, filled him with so 
exquisite an emotion. No 1 ” he philosophically 
mused, “life is too short, too mechanical, to let a 
divine emotion escape one’s soul, while dallying 
with reason. The fact is,” he concluded, “when 
a thrill of warmth has entered the soul to stir its 
slumbering energies, the cause of that emotiqq 


100 


GELTA : OR, 


slioiild bo guarded, and clierislied with true de- 
votion, till the fire of love bursts into a flame. 
Its intense heat will of course scorch the soul, 
but then it will glow with passion forever.” 

Of late Count Varicoff had remained in his 
apartment during his leisure hours, he gave out 
that he was writing a book on his theories of ex- 
ercising one’s will upon another’s even at a dis- 
tance, by simply concentrating one’s own Avill and 
thoughts upon the object. Such was liis excuse 
for not wanting to be intruded upon. Ho loved 
to surround himself by an intense solitude, where 
he could absolutely concentrate his whole heart, 
soul, and brain, upon his fair incognita. In his 
theory of overpowering another’s will-power to 
one’s own, he felt convinced, that if from the depth 
of his soul, lie should call her, she would be irre- 
sistibly drawn towards him, and in that case, she 
would one day cross his path, perhaps soon, it all 
depended upon the amount of determined will, lie 
would be able to command, over her actions. 
One April he was sitting far into the night, his low 
arm chair drawn close to the fire for the night 
was still chilly. He took her letter from out his 
bosom and read it, as he had done so many times 
since their meeting, lie seemed to see strange 
objects, through the smoke of his cigarette. How 
he would dream for hours, always thinking, tliink- 
ing, thinking, trying to penetrate into the mvs- 
terious future, and calling from out his soul to 
her, 'till at times, he became bewildered with ec- 


She czAii She Qantatiiice. 


lot 


btacy; tliHri liis mind would see lier loving, trust- 
ing facej and a soothing calmness would pervade 
the feveS of his soul ; and he would retire, with 
the conviction, that she would obey his will, and 
come to him. 


CHAPTER XIIL 

It was the beginning of the month of June. 
Paris was crowded with continental visitors. The 
eve of summer was robed in nature’s lovliest garb, 
the weather was most enchanting, the race would 
be sure to be a great success and everybody who 
was somebody, and those who were nobody, all 
were in great readiness to be seen, and to see the 
grand prix. Another month and all the promi- 
nent tlieatres would be closed until the next sea- 
son. Paris, the gay, and sparkling, the witty, the 
brilliant, Paris, which for philosophically grasp- 
ing the brightness of life, stands pre-eminent 
among the capitals; was now in the height of its 
glory. Gay speeches and silver ripples of laughter 
constantly broke on the resonant air, and were 
wafted back by the merry atmosphere that lov- 
ingly encircled enchanted Paris. Amid all this 
over-bubbling of life Gelta felt an icy inward de- 
pression, not that she courted that melancholy 
feeling, on the contrary, when Count Boroffsky 
had interpreted the feeling which had come over 
her, ever since her return from London; when the 


102 


GELTA : OR^ 


Count Lad suddenly surprised lier by telling liei? 
that she was in love ! Gelta had then and there 
made a determination, that if such were really the 
case, the feeling must be nipped iii the bud, for 
she was too intelligent, and too reasonable, to 
foster a love for a man, of whom she knew noth- 
ing, and especially, one, who had always harbored 
prejudiced feelings against her race. For several 
months during the interval of the different operas, 
in the hours of her leisure, she was constantly 
moving about; first she would be seen at some of 
the select balls, with sparkling eyes and laughing 
mien, appearing to be plunged deepest in its mirth, 
then again at some of the grand dinners she would 
delight and fascinate with her brilliant wit, all 
those about her, and so her leisure moments were 
taken up encountering the gayeties of the season, 
in order to fly from herself. But it was useless, 
for when she appeared to be enjoying herself the 
most, her poor heart felt an icy numbness, for 
very often midst the gayest scenes, her mind’s eye 
would suddenly conjure up some of the heart- 
crushing scenes which she had witnessed amongst 
the poor in the East of London, and she would 
draw instant comparisons, and ponder, over the 
fact, that if only this gay crowd had a little less 
of the luxuries, and the poor a few more of the 
necessities of life, how much greater, and more 
equal, would the human happiness have been 
distributed all over the world, and then the feel- 
ing would come over her, that whilst so many 


THE C2:aii and the cantatrioe. 


103 


inillions of human hearts were suffering the throes 
of want, it was a sin, to be so thoughtlessly 
merry, without pausing to consider, to pray for 
them, without each person willingly offering his 
mite, to help to bring a ray of sunshine to those, 
who are crushed and weary. 

The Russian Jews were especially in her 
thoughts ; every morning’s paper bore witness of 
fresh cruelties. Gradually the idea, that had 
already crossed her mind, the idea of going 
out to Russia with a faint hope of being 
able to achieve something by her personal in- 
fluence, began to take shape. 

A voice spoke within her, asking her whether 
she really was as helpless as she thought? Per- 
haps she might encourage the oppressed with 
hopes of a new land, possibly she might try to 
gain the ear of the imperial family, and plead, on 
behalf, of her misji^dged, and persecuted people. 

No sooner had this last idea taken hold of her 
than it seemed to shape itself into a fixed duty. 
The more she thought of the matter, the more 
fixed became her sudden determination that she 
must go! 

Gelta was a girl who when once she had de- 
cided upon a plan of action set about immediately 
in a practical manner to attain her aim. She 
therefore wrote to the manager of the St. Peters- 
burg opera house, who had made her at various 
times advantageous offers to visit St. Petersburg; 
the director Baron de Sucoffsky, was only too de- 


104 


gelta: OB, 


lighted to hear that this gifted singer had re- 
considered her former decisions, and matters were 
soon concluded to the intense satisfaction of both 
parties in particular, and St. Petersburg society 
in general. 

One morning Count Boroffsky was surprised to 
see the following paragraph in one of the leading 
daily papers : 

“Miss Gelta Decbon leaves at the end of the present month 
for St. Petersburg, where on the 6th she is to sing in ‘ Mignon,' 
and ‘ Esclarmonde,’ before the Czar and imperial family. She 
returns to Paris early in April.” 

Count Boroffsky immediately called with the in- 
tention of congratulating her upon her decision ; 
but her maid informed him that her mistress was 
not at home, he understood her meaning, and 
Gelta felt relieved at having once and forever 
convinced him, that although she expected to go 
to St. Petersburg, she would have nothing to do 
with Nihilism; or its encouragers. She received 
a long letter the next morning from Boroffsky, 
wherein he assured her that his love for her 
would be everlasting, and though she seemed in- 
different to him, he would always watch over, and 
shield her from all dangers ; also informing her 
that he was by the same mail writing to a number 
of his friends who were in the elite of Kussian 
societ}^, and that her welcome there would be an 
assured success. Without troubling the reader 
with an account of the voyage to St. Petersburg, 
as all travels present pretty much the same 
features,, we will observe only, that about the 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


105 


middle of November, two weeks before her ex- 
pected debut, Gelta arrived in the capitol of Kiissia, 
A suite of rooms were in readiness for her at the 
Hotel de TEurope. One thing she determined 
upon; to economize in her expenses as much as 
possible, and devote to the poor whatever she 
could spare. 

After a few days rest she drove to the American 
Legation and paid her respects to the stars and 
stripes. No sooner had it become known that 
she was in the city of the Czar, than society over- 
whelmed her with their visits and invitations. 

The American Minister gave a grand dinner in 
her honor and there she met the elite of the city, 
including some members of the imperial house- 
hold. One of the guests there, an immense 
favorite in the Minister’s famil}^ was an English 
lady of middle age, whose husband was attached 
to the British Embassy ; and who had resided in 
Russia for about ten years. A Mrs. Wilson. 
Mrs. Wilson was immediately fascinated with 
her beautiful American cousin, and Gelta recipro- 
cated the feeling. So she finally accepted Mrs. 
Wilson’s very kind offer, to show her the different 
sights of interest in St. Petersburg. 

Gelta was greatly disappointed with her first 
view of the Capitol. From the extraordinary ac- 
counts she had so often read of its magnificence, 
she was certainly led to expect something infinitely 
more grander. 

A drive of half an hour enabled Gelta and her 


106 


oelta: OB, 


friend to pass tlirougli all tlie best parts of the 
city. It is true that in one tableau were assem- 
bled a number of splendid buildings such as few 
Capitols afford ; and to Gelta’s outbursts of ad- 
miration, Mrs. Wilson quietly remarked, that if 
within the same space were collected all the fine 
public buildings in London, with all the advan- 
tages of the great extent of. ground and clear 
atmosphere, enabling the visitor to obtain an un- 
obstructed view of their various beauties, it would 
be easy to guess which would present the more 
imposing appearance ; added to which ” con- 
tinued Mrs. Wilson, ‘‘ you must bear in mind that 
the edifices in St. Petersburg for the most part are 
only of brick and stucco. That this assemblage 
of all that is splendid in the city, gives it at first 
sight a magnificent ensemble, I do not deny ; but, 
like everything Russian, the showy facade, only 
hides, what is mean behind.” 

After this summing up of Russian character, 
so briefly sketched by the amiable Mrs. Wilson, 
Gelta sat for some time, silently musing how dis- 
agreeable it must be to have to reside a long time 
amid such deceptions : they drove past the winter 
palace facing the war office. In the intermediate 
space stood the Alexander column, with the 
bronze angel on the top, whose head is bowed in 
adoration and who bears a golden cross in his 
arms. Then they drove through the large square 
of the Admiralty, where stands the celebrated 
statue of the Czar Peter ; on their left hand was 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICS. 


107 


the ministerial and judicial department. Behind 
the statue was the magnificent Isaac Church, 
whose great golden dome, seemed glaringly to 
mock povertj^’s uplifted gaze. On the bank of 
the Neva opposite to this edifice, were the 
University and the Academy of Fine Arts, the 
latter a large and handsome square building. 
The object that attracted Gelta’s attention the 
most, were the granite quays, with which the 
Neva, and the canals are bordered, and which 
must have cost incalcuable trouble, and an im- 
mense expenditure both of treasure and human 
life, in their construction. 

They visited during the next few days the many 
places of note, such as Peter’s Museum^ the 
Academy of Science, the Palace of the Hermitage, 
the Monastery of Alexander Nevsky, etc. In the 
first of these (Peter’s Museum), Gelta felt a vivid 
interest as she gazed at the many relics of the Czar 
after whom it is named; many of them were the work 
of his own hands, models of ships, a chandelier, 
some iron articles, shoes, and little ivory figures. 
There were also his tools, and instruments, care- 
fully preserved under a glass case. In another 
apartment was the effigy of the great Peter him- 
self, modeled in wax, habited in one of his own 
court dresses, having shoes on that he himself 
had made, and wearing his own natural hair made 
into a wig. Unlike the Russians generally, he 
had dark eyes and hair, and his features had 
more of the southern cast, than of the northern. 


108 


&ElfA: 6 % 


As Gelta stood silently gazing at tlie effigy of 
one, wlio during liis life-time had conquered 
nations, and bowed adverse circumstances to his 
ii'on will, she could not help pondering on wbat 
a complex character his had been, horribly, 
brutal and proud, and then amazingly humble. 
At one time he would sally forth into the street, 
and decapitate, with his own sword, a dozen, or 
more unfortunates, who had been condemned to 
death ; then he w’ould go into a poor cobbler’s 
shop, and set about learning the trade, and asso- 
ciated with the humblest; then again a fit of 
ambition would lead him to have his only son 
imprisoned, and then done to death — in order that 
the Kussians, should look up to hiJn alone, and 
again he would be seen mingling, with the com- 
mon laborers in the dock yards, modelling ships, 
and trying to impart to them the knowledge he 
had gained, during the time he had been Queen 
Elizabeth’s guest, when he visited England, 
expressly to gain an insight, into English ship- 
building. And as Gelta stood gazing at the few 
faded vestiges of what had once been filled with 
so much arrogance, ambition, and brutality, she 
sighed again, and could not help from reflecting 
upon the futile attempts, of such poor deluded men, 
whoso only aim in life, is, to make their fellow 
beings, cringe before them, as if royal clay were of 
a different kind, an everlasting one, and had naught 
in common with the ordinary mortals, whom they 
daily encounter. Alas! for poor proud humanity. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


109 


My dear,” said Mrs. Wilson with a smile, 
arousing Gelta from her musing, Peter’s effigy 
will keep, but the weather may not, and as this 
is a particularly fine morning, let us take a walk 
down the Nevsky Perspective, the finest and most 
fashionable street in St. Petersburg.” 

And so they sallied forth. Meanwhile Gelta 
was remarking the grotesque carricatures over- 
hanging the doors of the different shops and 
.commenting on the same to her friend. 

“Yes,” answered Mrs. Wilson, “the shops or 
magazines, as they are called here, to distinguish 
them from the common Kussian warehouses, in 
the Gostinoi Dwor, all have sign boards, with the 
articles their proprietors sell, painted thereon — a 
proof of the ignorance, for if the people could 
read, such paintings would not be necessary.” 

“ How dreadful it must be,” Gelta interposed, 
“ to come in contact with so much ignorance.” 

“ Hush, my dear,” Mrs. Wilson quickly replied, 
meanwhile cautiously looking back to see whether 
some one had not overheard the remark. “ You 
must be very, very careful while in Russia, as to 
how you express yourself, and especially so, in 
writing to your friends abroad, for most of the mail 
is opened — and a correspondence which does not 
coincide with the ideas of the Russian police, is 
treated with the severest measures in the name 
of the Czar. But above all things, don’t forget 
what I told you — when three persons meet to- 
gether in Russia, you may safely count one of 


110 


GELTA : OR, 


them as a spy. A young gendarme officer used to 
visit at the house of one of our acquaintances ; 
his presence always produced restraint, as the 
officers are obliged in duty bound, to report 
whatever they may hear. Apropos of the spy 
system,” continued Mrs. Wilson, ‘‘ I know from 
good authority that, besides the secret police, 
there are one hundred and twenty thousand paid 
agents in this country, among whom, to their 
shame be it spoken, are many women. Even 
some of the French milliners in St. Petersburg 
have the reputation of being agents of police; 
for these marchandes de modes, have free admis- 
sion to the masquerades, theatres, etc., where 
they can exercise their detective talents. It is no 
exaggeration to say that a Eussian subject scarcely 
dares to utter his true sentiments, even to his own 
brother, or familiar friend. I am sure that I 
have often been present at conversations, in 
which perhaps four or five would be taking part, 
each knowing that his neighbor was telling a lie, 
and avowing sentiments, exactly contrary, to 
those he felt. Yet the subject under considera- 
tion, would be discussed, with all the gravity, 
and seriousness, of entire conviction. What 
standard of morality can we expect, from a nation 
where the government robs the masses of their 
hard-earned gains, in order to pay, and maintain, 
a regiment of spies, who are there, to hound them 
to death? Of course I would under no con- 
sideration express my thoughts to anyone else, 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


Ill 


for altliougli our meeting has been but of a few 
days ago, I feel that we have known each other 
for ever so long, from the descriptions I have re- 
ceived, concerning your lovely character, and 
noble sentiments from our mutual friend.” 

Gelta turned to her chaperone with a look of 
surprised inquiry. 

“ Count Boroflfsky,” replied Mts. Wilson witli 
a smile. 

“Oh, yes,” Gelta answered slowly after a 
moment’s reflection for she felt that silence would 
now be dangerous ; “ Yes, the Count is one of my 
many Parisian admirers,’ for a sudden thought 
had flashed through her mind, that her chaperone 
might be involved with the Count, in some 
Nihilistic plot, or she might be totally innocent, 
of his conspiracies. She might simply be a friend. 
But the germ of suspicion, having entered her 
mind, Gelta at once determined, to guard against 
her new made friend. Hence it shows, that the 
Russian air, through its present mode of govern- 
ment, is impregnated with suspicion, and it is 
difficult to be within its bounds, if only for a few 
da^^s, without being reduced, to closely hiding 
one’s inner thoughts, from the view of one’s best 
friends. 

Gelta and her chaperone were now sauntering 
along the Nevsky Perspective. It was crowded 
with belles and beaux, all anxious to display the 
newest fashions from Paris. The innumerable 
officers kept lounging about, equally desirous of 


112 


GELTA : OR, 


admiration. Gelta was closely veiled and begged 
her friend not to stop to talk to any of the numer- 
ous acquaintances to whom Mrs. Wilson was 
busily kept nodding, as she did not desire to be 
introduced to them, until after her debut. After a 
half an hour’s stroll along the crowded avenue, 
they decided to return home ; Gelta having re- 
fused to dine that evening with the Wilson’s, 
promised to be in readiness, the next morning, in 
order to walk through the Petersburgskaia 
Storona, where the Jews are located. 

About noon the next morning, Gelta with her 
chaperone were walking down the Jewish ghetto. 
The rickety dwellings appeared to be guarded by 
the spirit of heaviness, who had written upon the 
doorposts the word, “desolate.” They passed 
through the Hebrew quarters; nearly every house 
in which consisted of a bazaar, or small shop. 
The scene did not differ materially from the poor 
Jewish quarters in London, except in the haunted 
expressions which the Jews had in their wan care- 
worn, faces, as they suspiciously eyed any stranger 
who might be passing through ; and very often 
Gelta heard the password in Hebrew quickly 
wafted from neighbor to neighbor (Steika speion) 
— (hush spies), and then they all would gaze with 
terrified looks after the retreating strangers, and 
wonder what new catastrophe, was about to be 
hurled at them, to emphasize, the Eussian Chris- 
tian’s hatred ; for these poor people realize, that 
they live on the thin crust of a volcano, which 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


113 


might explode, at any moment, and scatter them 
to the winds. Gelta often dropped a few silver 
coins into the hands of some old or blind mendi- 
cant, but the Jews only eyed her with more sus- 
picion, for as they did not take her to be a Jewess, 
they knew from bitter past, experiences, that thej^ 
need not expect a kindness, from a Russian Chris- 
tian, who never loses an opportunity, of express- 
ing his intense hatred for them. 

After a couple of hours spent amid these poor 
unhappy Jews, Gelta with her friend, returned to 
the hotel. Her heart was filled with sadness as 
she remembered the haunted, persecuted look 
stamped on the weary faces of the House of 
Israel. She mentally determined after the first 
week of her debut, to revisit the place alone, and 
deposit her earnings in the hands of the Rabbi 
for immediate distribution. 


CHAPTER XIV. 

It was the evening of Gelta’s debut She was to 
impersonate “Mignon.” The house was beauti- 
fully lit up, and the boxes all decorated. The 
vast auditorium presented a sea of faces, the ladies 
all attired in the latest Parisian creations ; their 
low cut bodices studdied with precious stones, 
their throats and hair glittering with diamonds. 
The gentlemen in their military attire, with breast 


114 


gelta: or, 


coats literally covered witli tlie numerous decora- 
tions conferred upon them by the Russian court, 
presented a very handsome and imposing specta- 
cle. The American and English nations were 
well represented by their respective ambassadors. 
The performance was about to begin, the murmur 
of suppressed voices that swayed the house, de- 
noted with what curiosity, and intense interest, 
the entree of the prima donna was awaited. 
The Emperor and the members of the imperial 
family entered the royal box, the orchestra 
struck up the national anthem ; the audience 
rose, and stood with bowed heads until 
the last notes of ‘‘ God save the Czar,” had died 
away. 

The Emperor was in uniform, covered with 
jeweled decorations, and looked dignified and 
commanding. The Em]:>ress, in a peacock-green 
velvet robe, embroidered with sapphires, rubies, 
and pearls ; a tiara of diamonds in her well-ar- 
ranged coiffure ; her wliite throat encircled by a 
stream of emeralds; looked magnificent, and had 
a touch of that wondrous, delicate beauty, with 
which her sister in England is so happily en- 
dowed. The Grand Duchess Xenie looked most 
charming in a simple gown, of white crepe de 
chin, studded all over with tiny silver stars, her 
girlish tliroat and head being ornamented with 
many strings of pearls ; in the back of the box 
stood several other members of the royal family ; 
his Majesty recognized with a military salute the 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


115 


foreign Diplomats, and then gave the signal to 
commence. 

Behind the curtain, the suppressed animation 
and excitement was equally intense. The stage 
hands, and the numerous supernumeries, during 
the interval of suspense between the finishing of 
the overture and the rising of the curtain, were 
speculating as to how the new prima donna 
would come through the ordeal of her first en- 
trance — whether she would be overcome by ner- 
vousness, or not; she Avas still so very young. 
Of course, the rehearsals had gone splendidly, 
and then she had appeared in Paris with such 
great success. But, after all, the voice is so 
treacherous ; one can never be sure, one moment, 
from the other, that one’s voice Avill be able to 
reach certain notes, at certain required moments > 
undue agitation, a sudden draught, a too passion- 
ate conception of the part, this, and many other 
imperceptible causes, might leave one voiceless, for 
the time being. 

The manager, Baron Sucoffsky, was hurrying 
to and fro with suppressed excitement, endeavor- 
ing to impress on the different singers not to be 
nervous ; then running here and there personally 
to assure himself that nothing had been over- 
looked, finally he retired to the box-office, where 
his presence Avas in great demand. 

Gelta Avas sitting in her dressing-room ready to 
go on, for by the time she had finished dressing, 
she had reasoned herself into a calm composure. 


116 


gelta: or, 


She had taught herself, not to be overwhelmed by 
disheartening failure, or to lose one’s equilibrium, 
through grand success ; since, she philosophically 
reasoned, everything vanishes alike, with a few fleet- 
ing years. Thus Gelta Dechon was the calmest and 
most composed inwardly, on both sides of the cur- 
tain. 

Hush ! a tap at the door ! It is the call-boy’s 
voice. A moment later Gelta sallies forth with 
true Jewish energy and American determination, 
depicted on her lovely face. The look of the 
conqueror is stamped upon those features, and 
with the silent vow, “I will succeed” trembling 
on her lips, she steps into the cart ready to be 
carried on before the audience. A cold silence 
greets her as Wilhelm receives her from the 
gypsies, and questions her, as to the land of her 
nativity. Her youth and beauty had already 
made a profound impression upon the audience. 
Still silence reigns; she begins the well-known 
air, “ Connais-tu le pays, ” It was a song, which 
seemed to express Gelta’s own inmost yearnings, 
her vague aspirations after that ideal land of 
dreams, which always eludes our awakening eyes. 
When she sang it, it was as the melody of her 
own soul. It w^as not only her voice, art, beauty, 
youth that made their living appeal, it was 
something more, something indefinable — per- 
chance, that yearning, of a wandering race, for 
its homeland. And something in all souls, 
responded to her own, for who has not known 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


117 


this longing, for the unattainable, and the un- 
known? 

The Emperor leans forward ; the harsh, for- 
bidding expression, which covers his face like a 
strong mask, for a moment vanishes. A faint 
smile of satisfaction struggles through his cold, 
grey eyes ; he claps his hands ; no sooner has he 
done so, than the entire audience bursts forth into 
a thunder of applause, which lasts for several 
minutes* Gelta is kept bowing and bowing; a 
sudden feeling of relief has come over her, and the 
tears of gratitude well up into her eyes for having 
conquered through her humble efforts. 

In the imperial box, another person is suddenly 
overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude to his 
Maker, for he has most unexpectedly recognized 
liis beautiful incognita. Count Varicoff stood as 
if transfixed ; he thought it was all a sweet dream ; 
he did not move, lest he should break the en- 
chanted spell ! What had he seen ? What 
ravishing vision had arisen upon his sight? 
What did he feel? What wild, what delicious, 
what maddening impulse now pervaded his 
frame ? A storm seemed raging his soul — a 
mighty wind dispelling in its course the sullen 
clouds and vapors of long years. A sublime 
portal of love opened down the horizon ; he 
stood gazing silently indeed, for he was speech- 
less ; though the big drop that quivered on his 
brow showed how much liis self-suppression was 
costing him. Voices issuing from the lips of his. 


118 


gelta: or, 


relatives readied liis ear, sudi as, ‘‘ Well, slie is 
beautiful ! and her voice, and method, are exqui- 
site.” “Keport in her case for once, has not 
exaggerated.” “ To-morrow she sings in Faust, 
we must hear her Marguerite.” These, and many 
other flattering remarks, reached him ; he heard 
some one ask him his opinion ; it was the Grand 
Duchess Xenie’s voice, but he had a far off dis- 
tracted look, as he answered in monosyllables; so 
she did not continue her remarks to him. 

How strange that those who experience the 
deepest emotions, are for the moment capable of 
expressing only the least ; for they are busy lis- 
tening to their own tumult of feeling. 

The curtain dropped, the entire house was 
agitated with enthusiasm ; the verdict was unani- 
mous ; everybody agreed with everybody else, 
that the American nightingale, for youth, beauty, 
and voice was peerless ; nobody could refrain 
from saying something flattering concerning the 
newcomer, everyone, except, Count Varicoff, ex- 
pressed intense delight ; and he, in whose heart 
she was nearest, he, who at that moment was the 
only one who would have gladly forfeited his very 
life for her sake, could express neither by look, 
nor word, the unanimous verdict which echoed 
through the house. 

That night Count Varicoff agitatedly paced up 
and down his room, revolving in his mind 
whether he should call at the hotel de TEurope 
and send up his card, or whether he should wait 


The czar and the cantatrice. Il9 

and trust to fortune wlio liad already been so kind 
to kim. He did not think it diplomatic simply 
to send up his card, for he reasoned, and felt, 
that she would refuse, to receive him, as she had 
in London. No ! he could not face such a risk, 
so he wisely concluded to wait, since they were 
bound to meet at some social gathering. Five 
days had elapsed and still Count Varicoff had not 
had the opportunity of speaking to the ideal of 
his dream. His patience had now become ex- 
hausted ; for five days, to one in love, without 
being able to see and speak to one’s idol, seemed 
like five centuries of burning torture ; and so the 
Count determined to wait no longer, for early 
next morning he called at the office of the direc- 
tor of the Opera House. Baron de Sucoffsky 
had only just arrived, and was busily engaged in 
opening the first post’s mail, when he was sur- 
prised to see Count Varicoff honor him with a 
matutinal visit. The greetings over, Varicoff 
explained in a few brief words that he had an 
important message from a friend of his in Paris, 
to convey to Mademoiselle Dechon, and that he 
desired the Baron, to go with him at once, to the 
Hotel de I’Europe, and introduce him to the lady, 
and then leave him there to deliver his message. 
Of course Baron Sucoffsky, immediately acqui- 
esced, and whatever suspicions might have fiashed 
through his mind, that his august visitor had 
stronger reasons than those given for wishing to 
be introduced to the beautiful American, he did 


120 


gelta: or, 


not dare intimate as miicli, either by look, or 
word, especially, as the Count remarked “of 
course my calling here this morning Ca reste entre 
nous^'\ The Baron understood at once that the 
matter was to remain a secret, and he was only 
too happy to serve those, to whom he had many 
reasons to be grateful. 


CHAPTER XV 

With Gelta Dechon it was the same old story, 
there is nothing like success ; it makes success ; 
she had become the social lion of the day, for as 
a climax to all compliments paid her, the 
Emperor did the Empress the honor of presenting 
Madll? Dechon to her, and gracefully led Gelta 
the night before, after her jewel song in “Faust ” 
to his consort’s presence. 

The elite were overwhelming Gelta with in- 
vitations to entertainments and dinners, got up 
in her honor. Visitors were pouring in upon her 
at all hours, among whom could be seen the 
proudest princesses, and duchesses, in the land ; 
all rolling up in their equipages bent on paying 
personal homage to the beautiful American 
nightingale. 

Gelta had been compelled to deny herself to 
most of these well-intentioned people, and the 
rehearsals, and performances, were offered as an 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRlCE. 


121 


excuse for refusals to see tlie numerous visitors. 
Of course the morning in question when Gelta 
received the director’s card, she gave orders that 
the Baron should be admitted at once, and that 
she was not at home to any other callers. 

She was sitting at the piano running over the 
ivory keys with her delicately tapering fingers, 
trying to connect a new cadence, which had oc- 
curred to her that morning, for one of her arias. 
Robed in a beautiful tea-gown of shimmering 
white mousseline de sole, her lovely dark locks 
carelessly held together by an amber comb of 
diadem design, her clear complexion and dark 
lustrous eyes heightened by the color of her robe, 
s!ie looked as she sat there, wandering over the 
keys, a perfect picture of graceful, entrancing 
beauty, the ideal of a poet or painter’s dream. 
She recognized Baron Sucoffsky’s gentle tap at 
the door. 

‘‘ Entrez, entrez \ ” she cried gaily in silvery tones, 
without turning her head from the music before 
her. 

The Count’s good-natured voice was soon heard 
bubbling over with compliments, as he kissed 
her hand which she held out to him without with- 
drawing her eyes from the notes before her. 

“ Ma cliere 3Iademoiselle,'' said the Baron, “ I am 
on my way to the Opera House ; I have only a 
moment to spare, but I was passing the hotel, 
and I could not resist for just one short moment, 
coming and enquiring after your health. Now,” 


122 


GELTA : OR, 


he continued, that you have set all St. Peters- 
burg raving over you, you must try to be calm, 
and take some rest, don’t get too excited and 
nervous, for you know that it is very bad for the 
voice/’ 

All this was delivered with great rapidity of 
speech. Meanwhile Count Varicoff stood gazing 
in the background at the lovely ideal of girlhood 
before him, and as he drank in the beautiful 
curves of her symmetrical form, he felt a mighty 
rush of emotion shake his trembling body, as if 
a sharp shock of electricity had coursed through 
his quivering frame. 

After pausing a second in his speech, the Baron 
continued, “Allow me to introduce you to the 
Grand Duke Demetrius, who has a message for 
you from one of your Parisian adorers.” Gelta 
for the first time turned and faced her visitors ; 
and she beheld Count Varicoff! Their eyes met, 
her voice trembled, and her features quivered 
with suppressed excitement, as the surface of a 
lovely lake is ruffled by sudden winds. She ex- 
pressed herself pleased to meet the Grand Duke 
Demetrius. 

Baron Sucoffsky, deploring once more his 
necessitated haste, made his exit ; the door 
closed, and they were once more alone I 

“ Tli.ey met, as two leaves floating on the water, 

They formed a friendship, stronger than blood.” 

Gelta was but a few steps from him, and as he 
caught her fond smile, which was struggling 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 123 

faintly tlirougli tlie blusliing embarrassed features; 
lie sprang to her side in an instant, his heart beat 
so tumultuously, that he could not speak ; he 
seized with a trembling touch her extended hand 
and gazed upon her with a feeling of ecstacy. 

“ Oh, you are so beautiful,” he murmured. 

‘‘How strange,” she faintly said, “that we 
should have ever met.” 

“ Indeed,” he replied, “ I think it most natural. 
I will believe it,” he continued, “ to be the fulfill- 
ment of a happy destiny. For all that I have 
sighed for now I meet, and more, much more than 
my imagination could ever hope for.” 

“Only think,” she softly said, “of our first 
meeting, such a little while ago, and yet it 
seems an age ; I will, as you say, believe it 
was Fate, which impelled me to answer you 
that day in the museum, lest you should think 
of me — ” 

“I think of you only,” he interrupted, “as the 
noblest and sweetest of beings,” and he pressed 
her hand most tenderly. 

Gelta was not less moved, finding herself in the 
very presence of the face which from the first 
meeting, had haunted her, and which for months 
past she had struggled to forget ; and now as he 
held her hand, she felt a chaos of strange emotions 
sweep oyer her ; she stood with downcast eyes, 
speechless. 

Then wdth the impulsiveness that was part of 
his nature, he abruptly took her in his arms, and 


124 


gelta: OB, 


kissed aer, again and again, with an amouDt of 
nervous energy that quite startled her. 

With blazing eyes he looked into her exquisitely 
beautiful face that had paled with contending 
emotions. She tried to draw away, but he held 
her fast, she cried — ‘‘ Let me go ” with a deter- 
mination which flushed her face once more, and 
caused her eyes to glow until they flashed like 
stars, and those wondrous eyes burned into his 
very soul. 

‘‘ You must respond to my soul’s deep yearn- 
ing,” he said passionately. “ You must give me 
some hope.” 

“It cannot be,” she sadly answered, “it is im- 
possible, for you know I am a Jewess, and there- 
fore I must marry one of my creed.” 

“ And what of that? Love levels all, love has no 
creed, it sweeps away every barrier of race and 
faith. For you I will renounce everything and 
will become your slave ! ” 

“ Oh ! you must not talk thus,” she moaned. 
“ For me to listen to such words of love in these 
circumstances, would be a mortal sin ; pray leave 
me, give me time to think, I cannot collect my 
thoughts at present, be generous and leave me. 
If you desire my friendship you shall have it, but 
more for the present, I cannot promise. Pray 
leave me, it is the flrst favor I ask of you, do be 
manly, and grant it.” 

She had spoken hurriedly, and with intense ex- 
citement. She struggled to release herself as a 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


125 


captured bird tries to free itself from its captor ; 
there was such a mute appeal in her blanched face, 
that he suddenly let her go. 

Count,” she said coldly, suddenly regaining 
her self-composure, ‘‘ hereafter I must refuse to 
see you, it is better for us both.” And before he 
could utter a word, she had swept from the room 
into her boudoir, locking the door after her. 

He had no alternative, and not wishing to be 
seen in his distracted mood, he hurriedly made 
his exit, and then drove quickly home. When 
once there, he shut himself up in his rooms and 
endeavored to think ; he cursed his impulsiveness 
and lack of self-control, for he was tormented 
by anger, disappointment, and passion, which 
wrapped him up in a nest of knots and thorns, 
and made him incapable of thinking. For he was 
so thoroughly angry with himself for having 
frightened her, and driven her from his presence. 
And then his face would become radiant with 
hope, for he knew that she loved him, he could 
tell it from her trembling voice, trying to hide the 
emotion that surged from her heart, the blood that 
rushed to and from her face, all told its tale of the 
depth of her feelings for him, and he well re- 
membered her confession of love which she had 
made in the first and only letter which he had ever 
got from her, in London, when, she thought that 
they would never meet again ; and with these 
thoughts his face grew bright, and his heart racked 
by tumultuous passions, grew strong once mor^ 


126 


gelta: or, 


with hope. He had thrown himself on the couch 
and overcome by exhaustion, fell asleep. 

In sleep consciousness leaves us, yet the brain 
often continues to think ; during this silent, indis- 
tinct work, the thoughts often change tlieir 
definiteness, the soul awakes in a new world, al- 
together different from the one we left before we 
closed our eyes. 

Demetrius had while awake, being all ex- 
citement from what he had undergone, only 
found roads without any exits, and had gone 
from one fit of desperation into another, for he 
divined what a hopeless task it was to persuade 
a Jewess to waver from her creed ; but in this 
quiet sleep, he had unconsciously trodden a new 
road, and as ho awoke, he gave his dream deep 
consideration. He had dreamed that he, holding 
Gelta’s hand in his, had embraced Platonism, and 
therein discovered an ideal world. 

Despite the sceptics, Platonic love is possible — 
it is found in human nature, just as we find 
genius, heroism, unselfishness, all very valuable 
and Heavenly, because found so seldom, but still 
at times found. To the Grand Duke Dmetrius’s 
credit, be it said, that at that moment he actually 
felt convinced, that he could embrace the faith of 
Platonism, so he sat down and penned at great 
length his new found thoughts to Gelta. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


127 


CHAPTER XVI. 

Gelta’s coolness of manner and self-composure 
as she left her room, were in striking contrast 
with the tumultuous passion which had so sud-* 
denly swept over her a few minutes ago, and 
served to stamp her, as an extraordinary woman. 
But oh! after she had entered her boudoir, and 
locked the door, the latter to demonstrate to him, 
in the outer room, that his presence was not de- 
sired, she threw herself upon the couch and wept 
bitterly.. She heard him leave the room and felt 
her heart go with him, then she cried aloud — “O, 
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jvacob, Omnipotent 
Creator of everything, what have I ever done to 
offend Thee so, that Thou shouldst as a punish- 
ment make me love a man, whose wife I can never 
be 1 Have I not in every deed and thought 
through all temptations remained a pure, virtuous 
daughter of Israel ? Have I not been always 
most modest and conscientious in my demeanor ? 
and is this to be my allotted reward, is my poor 
aching, lonely heart, to be crushed beneath the 
weight, of love, and duty ? for I love this man, 
yes, I love him with the intensity of my soul, for 
months I have struggled to hide the thought from 
myself, but now, since I have seen him again, I 
can no longer deceive myself. O 1 God ! be mer- 
ciful^ and lend Thine ear to the storm which 


128 


gelta: or, 


rages within me, I can shut this man out of my 
presence, but I cannot shut him out of my 
thoughts, and if the love which I feel for him, is 
a sin, then I pray Thee most fervently, to teach 
me what to do, lead me, oh ! guide me, with Thy 
merciful hand, but if through loving this man I 
should be intended to face dishonor, then I be- 
seech Thee, O ! God, most fervently, to take my 
life at once, and deliver me from Earth’s woes.” 
And after having thus unburdened her soul with 
prayer, she wept, and wept, and the convulsive 
sobs that issued forth from her bursting heart, 
told of the agony, which that lonely girl felt, who 
had neither father, mother, or brother, to turn to, 
for a word of comfort, or advice, in the fierce 
battle with the world. 

As the wind clears the heaven, the outburst of 
copious tears eventually tranquillizes the soul. 
The tumult of her mind gradually subsided; the 
flitting memories, the scudding thoughts, that for 
a moment had coursed about in such wild dis- 
order, vanished, and melted away, and a feeling of 
bright serenity, a sense of calmness, came over 
her, and she felt that the divine power which 
fills all space, and watches over everything, 
would mercifully keep her in the path of rectitude. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRIOE. 


129 


CHAPTEE XVII. 

Gelta received the Grand Duke Demetrius’s 
very touching letter the day after she had so 
summarily dismissed him, in which he breathed 
such intense love ! and oh ! such deep sorrow, at 
the thought of having offended her, and implored 
her to forget, and to accept Platonism with him ; 
she pondered deeply over its contents for some 
time. The thought of platonic love had never 
occurred to her before, and yet, her’s, had been 
platonic love from their first meeting; for she 
deeply loved him, but she felt she could never 
legally be his wife, and now she was more con- 
vinced of the fact than ever, not only because of 
the difference which existed in their religion, but 
also in their birth, since he was so nearly allied to 
the imperial family that she would never have 
allowed him, to make the sacrifice, of abandoning 
his rights, and family titles, in order to live with 
her away from his country and friends, as a 
private citizen, which he would have so willingly 
made for her sake. 

It was a little over a month since they had 
made their platonic compact, and though she saw 
him almost daily, their was nothing in his ad- 
vances now to startle her. 

In accordance with the condition she stipulated, 
he never even talked of love ; but there are modes 


130 


GELTA : OB, 


of making it, more eloquent, tlian language, and 
which convey it more subtly and irresistibly to 
the heart. The beam of the eye, the tone of the 
voice, the thousand tendernesses, which eminate 
form every word, and look, and action — these, 
form the true eloquence of love, and can always 
be felt, and understood, but never described. 

It was a very bright, though cold morning 
when Gelta went out alone to pay her weekly visit 
to the Petersburgs Kaia a Storona, and called at 
E-abbi Kantrowitz’s house, to leave half of her 
earnings, for him to distribute among the most 
needy. 

It was about eleven o’clock in the morning 
when Gelta entered the Eabbi’s house ; the old, 
faithful housekeeper, Hannah, who was a distant 
relative of the Eabbi’s, answered the door, and 
her habitually serious face, upon which many 
sorrows had left their indelible traces, broke into 
a broad smile, as she ushered this noble daughter 
of Israel into the little sitting-room, for Hannah 
knew too well, how many families, and sick Jews, 
had derived sustenance, and encouragement, 
through the temporary donations of this generous 
lady, and so the faithful servant, as she preceded 
Gelta up the dimly-lighted, narrow flight of stairs 
which led into the small reception-room, kept 
murmuring, heavenly blessings, upon the fair 
visitor. 

Eabbi Kantrowitz had been a resident in the 
little house he occupied for over thirty-five years. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


131 


It liad been a wedding gift from Lis departed 
wife’s father. Left a widower about ten years 
ago, and not having been blessed with any 
children, his sole aim in life was to merit truly a 
place in heaven, by sincerely doing his utmost to 
live a pure, unselfish and useful life, and serve 
those faithfully, whom misfortune had crushed. 

Kabbi Kantrowitz entered the room and gladly 
welcomed Gelta, but she could see that something 
was troubling his mind, for he looked sadder than 
she had ever seen him before. From her very 
first visit, some seven weeks prior, she had made 
him promise that he would not mention her visits 
or their object, for she thoroughly believed in 
keeping charitable acts a secret, especially in her 
public career, in order that they should not be 
misconstrued, as a medium, for self advertise- 
ment. 

“Yes, Eabbi,” she remarked for the second 
time in the course of their conversation, during 
which she had handed him her weekly offering to 
be distributed as usual, “ you are looking so down- 
c ist.” He still held her little gloved hand, after 
having solemnly blessed her in the old orthodox 
fashion, by saying a prayer, with up-raised hands 
over her bowed head. A ray of hope began to 
struggle through his dim sad eyes, as he seemed 
to clothe the thought, which had just entered his 
mind, in words. 

“ Tell me,” he said, “ you have so many in- 
fluential friends here, have you not? and as they 


132 


GELTA : OR, 


all know you are an American tliey forget to in- 
quire about your religion, and take it for granted 
do they not that as you do not belong to the 
Kussian Church, you must perforce, be a here- 
tic!” 

“You know, Babbi,” Gelta interposed, “I have 
not been asked, or I should have been only too 
proud, to announce myself, a proud daughter of 
the House of Israel.” 

“ And a good thing it is,” the Babbi replied, 
“ that society in its enthusiasm has overlooked 
the fact, if not, my dear child, you would have 
already suffered the deep sting of their unrea- 
sonable prejudice, for they are a pack of raving 
fanatics.” 

“ I care not for their prejudices, ” she replied, 
with contempt, “ for glorious America is the land 
of my birth, and Bussia dare not trifle with 
America’s subjects. However, as you say, Babbi, 
it is useless to try to reason calmly with an in- 
sane crowd, so I have determined within another 
six weeks, when my contract expires, to leave 
Bussia forever, as my presence here can be of 
very little or no benefit to my poor, persecuted 
people ; their wretched lot only makes my heart 
ache, at my own helplessness. But, good Babbi, 
you were about to refer to some of the influential 
people who seem to be my friends ; if I can be 
of the slightest service to you, you may be sure 
that I will do my utmost to serve you. ” 

“I know the nobility of your soul,” he an- 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


133 


swered, and even to tell you of tliis very sad 
case which occurred several months before your 
arrival here, pains me deeply, since it is such a 
hopeless one ; but there is a young man who is at 
present in my house, and who arrived only a few 
days ago, to see his aged, sick mother, who is 
dying of a broken heart, because of her poor hus- 
band, Isaac Goldstein’s arrest, some six months 
ago. She has had no tidings from him ; all we 
know is, that at that time, he had received a 
small sum of money from his only child, the 
3'Oung man who is at present in my house. He 
is a very fine pianist, and about five years ago he 
left Russia penniless and on foot, and managed to 
cross the Russian frontier, unobserved, and 
thereby escaped serving as a soldier and defend- 
ing the banner of tyranny. 

“ After much suffering and privation, and with 
the assistance from some co-religionists, he 
managed to reach Vienna, where after a time he 
got several pupils. With the little he earned he 
managed to keep the wolf from the door, and also 
to send home to his poor old parents three or four 
roubles per month, for you see as he was prepar- 
ing to appear in public, he had not the spare time 
to waste in teaching, except so far as necessity 
compelled him, and as his father had for many 
years eked out a living by teaching Hebrew, he 
finally was promised by his friends that if he 
'would send for his father, they would procure 
him a number of pupils in Vienna ! Of course 


134 


gelta: or, 


from the moment the idea was put before Schlomar 
Goldstein, a new hope entered his lonely heart. 
He saw his dearly beloyed mother once more 
presiding over the little household which he 
knew he could call home, and then he thouglit 
how the long hours of fatiguing studies would be 
cheered by the sympathetic voice of his devoted 
mother, and he planned how after his father’s 
lessons and his own hours of work of each day 
were over, he would take his parents to see the 
different sights which abound so plentifully in 
Vienna, where everybody is so free and light- 
hearted, that life and its struggles become a 
pleasurable task. 

“Well my dear child,’ continued Kabbi Kant- 
trowitz, “ to make a long story short, after two 
years hard and careful savings, Schlomar Gold- 
stein managed to send one hundred roubles to his 
l^arents to defray their traveling expenses It 
soon became known that Isaac Goldstein had re- 
ceived one hundred roubles, thanks to the Eussian 
spy system. As I have already said, no sooner was 
it known that poor Isaac had received money, than 
the head of the police sent for him, and informed 
Isaac Goldstein, that he was accused of very crave 
charges, and he must immediately hand over to 
him (the chief of police) the money he had re- 
ceived from his son, or take the consequences. 
Of course poor Isaac was indignant and protested 
his innocence and also denied having any of the 
money left, and said he had paid several standing 


CZAii AND THE CANTATEICE. l3o 

debts, for he knew only too well, how many 
privations, his cherished son had faced, in order 
to accumulate, the amount, which was so soon to 
unite them again. But the Russian official was 
implacable in his hatred against the Jews, and in 
his avaricious greed for money, and so he reasoned 
that these dogs of Jews, ought to be at the bottom 
of the Neva, and that he should best carry out the 
wishes of the Czar by exterminating them. 

“ Poor Isaac in his indignant and bewildered 
state of mind, had the imprudence, to tell the chief 
that he was only endeavoring to extort money 
from him, by groundless charges, for he, the chief, 
knew very well, he was innocent. It was a fearful 
remark to make to so powerful an enemy, for he 
‘was immediately seized by two gendarmes and 
sent to the Litovsky Zamok, which is the chief 
prison of St. Petersburg. It is a dreadful place, 
the prisoners, both men and women, are confined 
there for years perhaps, before they are allowed 
to get a hearing, or be put on trial, and on the 
least provocation, they are mercilessly flogged.” 

“But,” interposed Gelta, “if they had no proofs 
against him, could not the Jewish community 
send a petition to the Czar, stating the outrage, 
perpetrated, upon their unfortunate co-religion- 
ists?” 

“Ah ! my child,” said the Rabbi sadly shaking 
his head, “ in Russia it is the easiest matter to 
trump up the most serious charges, against the 
most innocent, and as for the Czar, I regret to ad- 


136 


gelta: ok, 


mit, tliat with all his education and high birth, 
he is as prejudiced against the Jews as the most 
ignorant of his subjects are. For it is a true say- 
ing, that ‘ silence consents,’ else if he did not hate 
the Jews, he need only occasionally recognize some 
of our leading Jews with a bow, and his officers 
would not dare, after his recognition, to heap on 
their ignominious charges, and practice their 
many extortions, and unjust punishments, upon 
our peace-loving people. 

“But to return to poor Isaac Goldstein, we have 
none of us been able to see him since the day he 
was incarcerated, and in fact his case seems nigh 
hopeless, for he may linger in prison perhaps for 
years, before he is called for trial, and then all 
he can hope for, is to be exiled to Siberia; for in 
Bussia, to speak to an officer, without cringing 
before him in the dust, is an unpardonable crime, 
and many noble hearts of nature’s sterling coin- 
age, have been tortured, and then suffered death, 
for the same. 

“Civilization is in a measure responsible for 
Russia’s barbarism, for if only the different 
powers of the civilized world would withdraw 
their ambassadors, and would cease having any 
intercourse with Russia ; in fact would excom- 
municate her from civilization, it might teach her 
to be more human, and Christian-like, toward 
her helpless subjects; for if a parent unmercifully 
abuses his child, tbe law takes it upon itself, to 
interfere, and mete out a just punishment, to the 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


137 


parent, and it is civilization’s solemn duty, to 
mete out a just punisliment to Eussia. But to 
return to poor Isaac Goldstein: we are perfectly 
helpless, and dare not even express by word, or 
look, that poor Isaac’s incarceration is an outrage 
against humanity, or that justice has erred, be- 
cause, we all run the risk of being imprisoned, as 
his accomplices, and left to rot in prison perhaps 
for years to come, before we could get a hearing ; 
so we have given poor Isaac up, as one that is 
dead, and can only pray the God of Israel, the 
God who fills all space, for Isaac Goldstein’s de- 
liverance.” 

‘‘ But this son of his ? ” asked Gelta. 

“ His son, ” continued Eabbi Kantrowitz, ‘‘ ar- 
rived two days ago to be at the bedside of his 
dying mother, but if his presence here, were 
known to the authorities, he would be condemned 
to death, because of his failing to enlist. So, 
during the last two days he has been concealed 
in my house, while at night he sits by his 
mother’s bedside, who, strange to say, since she 
has seen her child, is on a fair way to recovery. 
However he only endangers his life by his pres- 
ence here, and I have done my utmost to induce 
him to return to Vienna, but he seems to be in- 
different to life itself, since he learned of the grief 
and misery of his parents. ” 

“How very sad,” Gelta murmured, after having 
listened in silence to the Eabbi, “I would like to 
see Mr. Goldstein,” she continued, “perhaps, 


138 


GELTA : Oil-, 


who knows? I maybe able to persuade him to 
leave this wretched laud, which is fraught with so 
much peril for him. ” 

“My child,” answered the Eabbi, “if you can 
impress upon him to leave, you will have snatched 
him from death, or worse, Siberia. ” 

“ Go, good Father,” she said, “ send Schlomar 
Goldstein here immediately, and leave us alone 
for a little while so that I may speak to him un- 
disturbed. ” 

The Eabbi, after a few moments absence, re-en- 
tered and introduced Mr. Goldstein. The young 
man was of medium height, his head looked as if 
it were too large for his slight, wiry frame, he 
had piercing, black eyes, a weird, far-away, de- 
spairing look about his face. His hair was weedy 
and long, his trousers bagged at the knee, they 
looked as if they had quarrelled with the wearer’s 
boots, for they shrank fully ten inches away from 
them, and no coaxing seemed to avail to get them 
nearer. The boots, too, had an air of artistic 
poverty. But clothes neither make the man, nor 
the artist, and in this case, the neglected appear- 
ance, merely suggested the inner despair, that 
was gnawing at the core of his heart. 

Gelta rose and heartily extended her hand to 
greet him. “Won’t you take this seat,” she said, 
indicating a chair near hers, as the Eabbi left the 
room, apologizing for his speedy exit. 

Mr. Goldstein acquiesced with a low bow of 
thanks. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


139 


‘‘ I am an American, just liere for a short visit,” 
Gelta began in German, ‘‘and as a true daughter 
of Israel, I cannot but feel deeply pained, at the 
unjust indignities heaped upon my race. I have 
accident^ heard of your poor father’s incarcera- 
tion ” 

A suppressed sob broke from his heart, as he 
leaned on the back of the chair for support, 
burying his face in his left hand as if to hide the 
tears that streamed down his sad, emaciated face. 

Gelta took his right hand in both of hers in 
silent sympathy. After a short pause she con- 
tinued, not unmoved by the picture of helpless 
despair before her. 

“You see j^our being here does not assist 
matters, and you w^ell know the danger which 
surrounds you for having evaded enlisting. Now 
if you value j^our life you must return to Vienna 
at once.” 

“ Oh ! do not speak to me of life,” he moaned ; 
“ wdien I think of my poor innocent father buried 
alive in some dark cell under the Neva, and my 
dear devoted mother, dying of a broken heart ; 
what is life, what is God, what is anything to me, 
compared with the appalling despair which sur- 
rounds me ? ” 

“Hush!” she said reproachfully, “you are 
blasphemous 1 Have you then so little faith in 
heaven that at the first blow of sorrow, you 
abandon yourself to despair, instead of clinging, 
and praying, to the God of all creation, to wit- 


140 


gelta: or, 


ness your grief and help you? Who was it that 
watched over you when you first left home alone 
and penniless, and safely guided your footsteps 
to Vienna? Was it not God? Was it not the 
great God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who 
made you encounter good, sympathizing friends, 
and assisted you in your musical studies? Was 
it not the Great Almighty who so kindly watched 
over you then ? and do you think he will abandon 
you now, in your despair, no! but if you do not 
implicitly put your faith and hope in God, you 
are not a true son of Israel 1 Go, Schlomar.” 

He turned and looked at her with a start. 

“ Yes,” she resumed, interpreting his surprise, 
“this is no time for formalit 3 ^ I feel your sorrow 
as if we were sister and brother, and in faith we 
are, for we belong to the noble house of Israel. 
Therefore,” Gelta continued, “if you will obey 
me, by leaving for Vienna this very night, I will 
promise you, that I will endeavor to do my ut- 
most, in getting some of my influential friends 
interested, in your poor father’s behalf.” 

He gazed silently at her as if it were an angel 
speaking to him in a dream, and she resumed : 

“ Who knows” — with a far-away look, as if she 
pierced the future and saw a happy family group 
- - “ who knows, ” she continued, “ but that several 
months hence, you and your parents may be hap- 
pily established in Vienna?” 

He fell before her on his knees, kissing the 
ground upon which her feet rested. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


141 


Oh ! ” he sobbed aloud, ‘‘ the picture is too 
beautiful to be verified.” 

“ Not if you place your sincere faith in God,” 
Gelta replied, rising, so as not to see him at her 
feet. 

After a short pause she resumed : 

“ Schlomar, if you leave to-night, I will send 
your mother with a nurse as soon as she is able 
to travel, and who knows, perhaps before another 
week, your father may be free, to join you ; but I 
will not stir in the matter, until I have received a 
telegram from you on the other side of the 
frontier, saying only the word arrived. ” 

‘‘My dear Madam,” began the overwhelmed 
Goldstein, “ how shall I ever be able to show you 
my deep gratitude ? ” 

“ By doing, ” she answered, “ after success and 
fame shall have crowned your career, the very 
thing which I am attempting to do now ; that is, 
to bring with sympathy, and deeds, a ray of sun- 
shine, into the lives of those less fortunate, and 
by never wavering in the faith, and lasting love, 
of the Great Almighty. And now as we have de- 
cided, ” she said, as she rose to leave, “ Schlomar, 
this afternoon I will send a hundred roubles, and 
when you are safely in Vienna, I will send you 
another hundred so that you may prepare a com- 
fortable place for your parents. ” 

“ No, I cannot accept money from you,” he re- 
plied with almost a cold dignity, as if all his man- 
hood ypyolted at the very thought of it. 


142 


GELTA : OR, 


“ Ton are not accepting it from tlie woman,” 
she answered, “ but from the artist. You see we 
are comrades, it is simply a loan, and when some 
day you will be able to return it, then give it to the 
poor, in my name.” 

He could not reply, but the tears which fell 
like the dew from heaven upon her beautiful 
hand which she held out to him on parting, 
and which with bowed head, his lips touched 
reverently, told of the undying gratitude, of his 
heart. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

Upon Gelta’s return to the hotel, she found the 
Grand Duke Demetrius pacing up and down her 
salon. 

“ Pardon my intrusion,” he murmured, as he 
came forward to greet her on her entrance, “ but I 
was told you would soon return and so,” he con- 
tinued, while lovingly holding her little hand “ and 
so, I waited.” 

“ Oh ! I am so delighted,” she said, to find you 
here at this moment.” 

“ Really,” he ejaculated with astonished pleas- 
ure, for she always appeared so reserved in her 
greetings towards him. But as he iooked at her 
keenly, trying to scrutinize her soul, he saw from 
the deep fire in her lovely eyes, that she was 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


143 


really glad to see liim. In anotlier moment the 
enraptured Demetrius had seized her in his arms, 
and was pleading, imploring her, for a kiss. 

“No,” she said, gently but firmly, at the same 
time endeavoring to extricate herself from his 
arms. 

“Demetrius,” she said slowly, but with deter- 
mination, “you know upon what conditions I 
made peace with you ; that you must never try to 
take advantage, by ever kissing, or embracing me, 
without my permission,” — interrupting him as he 
was about to speak, she continued, “ and you gave 
me your word of honor, that you would abide by 
our compact, until I should see fit, to alter the 
same.” 

“ But,” he moaned, “ you never will see fit to 
alter that dreadful, unnatural, condition. What 
harm,” he insinuatingly urged, “ can there be in a 
tiny kiss ? Angels kiss, old and young people kiss, 
everybody kisses, and why should not we whose 
love is so deep, so sincere, so full of fervor, in- 
dulge ill kissing ! Surely you won’t refuse to give 
me a sister’s, or a cousin’s kiss ! 

“I don’t know how,” she smilingly interposed, 
“you see I never had a brother, nor a cousin.” 

“ Then let me be both,” he suddenly pleaded. 

“ Oh, no,” she jokingly replied, “that would be 
redoubling the sum.” 

“Oh! how cruel, you are Gelta,” he answered 
in a sad dejected voice, “ if you only knew how 
craving, how starving, my poor heart is for a tiny 


144 


GELTA : OR, 


kiss ! And yet j'ou remain so fearfully obstinate.” 

“ That will do,” she replied, with a cold, deter- 
mined expression, and then a moment later she 
continued with a cooing voice, at the time placing 
both her little hands in his large palms, ‘‘Deme- 
trius,” she slowly said, “ I wish to ask you a 
favor, it is the first favor I have to ask you, will 
you grant it ? ” 

“Oil, ask me for anything you like,” replied the 
enthusiastic lover, “ask me for life itself, only 
grant me one long, one loving kiss,” and he 
yearningly and tremblingly bent down to steal the 
coveted prize ! 

“Not now,” she said, as she quickly disengaged 
herself from his embrace, “not now,” she re- 
peated, “ but, if you will grant me the favor I am 
about to ask, then you shall have the kiss, for 
which your heart craves.” 

“Oh, Queen of my soul, tell me quickly,” he 
pleaded, “so that I may earn the prize at once.” 

Gelta soon related all the details of poor Isaac 
Goldstein’s unjust incarceration, but after he had 
heard all, he shook his head seriously, saying — 
“Ah! my beloved one I you cannot imagine how 
many difiiculties arise in setting a man free when 
he once has entered a Eussian prison.” 

“ Surely you wouldn’t find any obstacles if you 
wished to intercede for this innocent, yet wretched 
man,” she said with surprise. 

“ Yes, even 7,” he answered, “ should meet with 
difficulties, for His Majesty, the Czar is very 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


145 


severe on that point and will not have the acts of 
his officers called in question.” 

“ But there is no necessity for that,” interposed 
Gelta, ‘‘simply get the man released, and I will 
see that he leaves for Vienna immediately, and he 
will never return; if you refuse,” she continued 
with undaunted determination, “I intend to ask 
an audience of the Czar himself, and plead for 
this poor helpless, inoffensive being.” 

“ To see the Czar on such a mission,” he ex- 
claimed, “would be madness, for I grieve to say, 
though so nearly related to His Highness, he is 
not progressive in his attitude toward deep rooted 
prejudices.” 

“ You are endeavoring to intimidate me,” Gelta 
replied nothing daunted, “but mark you, if you 
do not intercede, I am still determined, to see the 
Czar, and if need be, listen to his refusal.’ 

“ He would not only refuse you,” said Demet- 
rius sadly, “ but you would be asked to leave 
Bussia for interfering with the law.” 

“Well! what if I were asked to leave,” ex- 
claimed Gelta with superb dignity, “Bussia would 
be the loser, as for myself, I prefer to be far away 
from a country, where Justice is obliged to double 
bandage her eyes, for fear of seeing the shame- 
lessness, of those who govern her.” 

“ Calm yourself, my darling,” said Demetrius, 
“ I have not refused, have I? ” 

“Of course not,” said Gelta, smiling at her 
Qwn impetuosity, and then she s-rchly continued, 


146 


GELTA : OR, 


your heart still craves for that oft-asked kiss, 
you will not fail to get Isaac Goldstein free with- 
in a week, and now you must leave me, for you 
know I sing to-night.” 

‘‘ Oh ! yes, in ‘ Faust,’ ” he said laughingly, as 
he rose to go, trying to draw her near him while 
clasping her tiny hands, “ I hope soon to claim 
my kiss, but won’t you give me a little foretaste ? ” 
he pleaded. 

‘‘ No, and what’s more,” she replied, ‘‘ do not 
call again, until you can bring me good news, of 
Isaac Goldstein’s speedy release.” 

As soon as the Duke took his departure, Gelta 
drove part of the distance, and then quickly 
wended her way on foot to the Rabbi’s house, 
and handed Hannah, the old faithful housekeeper 
who answered the door, a large envelope addressed 
to Rabbi Kantrowitz ; enclosed was another 
enveloped addressed to Schlomar Goldstein, 
which contained a photograph of herself, upon 
which was inscribed, “ to the rising young pianist,” 
a hundred roubles and a letter full of hope for 
the near future. 

That night Schlomar Goldstein set out on foot 
to steal his way across the frontier, and with his 
benefactress’s kind letter and photograph next his 
heart he felt a strong hope rise within him, the 
face of this beautiful daughter of Israel shone 
upon him like a beautiful light from heaven, and as 
he thought of her noble and encouraging words, 
he felt a divine inspiration descend upon him^ 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


147 


and then lie remembered how she had asked him 
to pray, to the Almighty, and so he stopped, with 
his face turned towards the east, to pray ; and 
the silver stars shone down upon him with beam- 
ing hope, and the hot tears that streamed down 
his pallid cheeks told of the fervor of his prayer, 
and of the innumerable blessings, which he called 
down upon the head of his benefactress. 

“ Oh ! ” he thought, ‘‘ if I could only once more 
embrace my dear parents in Vienna, there, be- 
yond the reach of the Russian oppressor, then I 
should be happy, then I would do my utmost to 
become great in the musical world. And who 
knows, he thought, after I had won my laurels, 
perhaps she would feel proud of me.” And then 
he crushed the wild thought which seemed to rise 
within him, for he invested her with the sacred- 
ness of a saint. 


CHAPTER XIX. 

Two days later Gelta received a telegram from 
Schlomar Goldstein, informing her of his safe 
arrival. Meanwhile she had not neglected his 
poor sick mother, for Gelta had spent the two 
afternoons with the lonely invalid, and had 
brought her some good wine and other delicacies; 
but the most efficacious medicine which she ad- 
ministered, were words of hope, and comfort, to 
the sick woman, for^ she told her, it only depended 


148 


gelta: or, 


on lierself, to recover and join lier husband and 
son in Vienna, and the words acted like magic 
upon the invalid, on the third day she was strong 
enough to be out of bed, and as the physician 
thought, the change would do Mrs. Goldstein 
good, Gelta promised her that if she took good 
care of herself, that she would be allowed to leave 
Kussia in a few days. And so the poor woman 
buoyed up with hope and kindness, was able two 
daj^s later to set out, accompanied by a good 
strong nurse, for Vienna, where Gelta telegraphed 
her son to meet her. 

It was indeed a happy meeting, but we will not 
dwell on the event, but will follow the Grand 
Duke Demetrius after having left Gelta. 

Demetrius returned home slowly, thinking how 
he had best act to procure Isaac Goldstein’s re- 
lease, without its reaching the ears of the Czar, 
for he well knew that the fact of the prisoner be- 
ing a Jew, left him without claim, to right, or 
sympathy, in Kussia. During the course of the 
following day he went to all those persons from 
whom he was most likely to get assistance of 
securing the prisoner’s release, but he met with 
notLing but obstacles, though under various pre- 
texts. 

The Chief Director of the Police was not in 
town, the gendarmes’ General had a sudden re- 
lapse of the gout, the Court of Justice was shut. 
The afternoon being far advanced, Demetrius de- 
termined to call on the Governor of the Livoua 


THE C2AR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


149 


Zamok, the very next morning, for he was restless 
and anxious to see Gelta, and he dare not present 
himself, without some encouraging news, con- 
cerning Isaac Goldstein. ‘ 

Of course, at the time of Isaac Goldstein’s ar- 
rest, it was necessary that some sort of an official 
inquiry should be made into the case, and as the 
trumped up proofs were produced of his being 
the head of a Nihilist band, and that he received 
money from abroad, to further the cause, his 
friends did not even dare, by look or word, to 
intercede in his behalf, lest they too, should be 
accused as accessories. 

It was night time when poor Isaac Goldstein 
entered the gloomy cell of Livona Zamok. He 
was loaded with chains which clanked at his 
every movement, he felt that his life was done, 
his heart seemed crushed for he knew too much 
of Kussian administration, to be indifferent, as to 
what it all meant; he had often heard it Avhis- 
pered, that when a prisoner once entered one of 
these dark cells, he might as well be buried alive, 
remaining for years without ever hearing a human 
voice, or seeing the light of day, for no sign from 
the outer world reaches it, and the horrible silence 
drives the prisoner slowly mad. The mind rots 
in the body, as it were. The warders, under 
heavy penalties are not allowed to speak to a 
prisoner, nor to answer even the most casual 
question. 

Poor Isaac was constantly reproaching himself 


150 


GELTA : OK, 


for not Laving delivered tlie money Lis son Lad 
sent Lim to tLe CLief of Police, wLen Le asked 
for it, and tLen fleeing witL Lis wife from tlie ac- 
cursed Russia on foot. Of course it was too late 
now to tLink of wLat Le miglit Lave done, for at 
tlie time of Lis arrest, everytLing was so sudden, 
tLat Le did not realize tlie danger wliicli tLreat- 
ened Lim, if Le did not satisfy tlie official’s greed! 
And now Le could only sigli, for Lis eyes Lad 
wept, until tLe tears could flow no longer, and tlie 
fountain of Lis grief Lad dried before tlie Leat 
of Lis agonizing soul, and so for inontLs, and 
montlis, Le Lad prayed to tlie God of AbraLam, 
Isaac and Jacob, to deliver Lim from tliis weary 
battle witL mankind. 

One morning Nicholas OssipovitcL, tlie Gover- 
nor General of tlie Livona Zamok, was sitting in 
Lis armchair before Lis writingtabie, in Lis official 
reception room; Le was a Lard stern-faced man, 
with cruelty written large upon Lis countenance, 
with its thin drawn lips, and its cold watchful 
eyes, Nicholas OssipovitcL combined with the 
purring docile, cringing nature of the courtier, 
the tiger’s ferocit3\ He Lad climbed to power 
by trampling into the dust every one who would 
Lave opposed Lim, for Le was pitiless. He was 
in Lis own sphere a petty king. As Governor 
General of the prison, Le Lad a tremendous 
power in Lis Lands, and Le used that power like 
a t3^rant and a despot. 

OssipovitcL Lad just dismissed Lis assistant, 


THE GEAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


151 


and was busy with a bill of indictment 
in a case of murder. Suddenly quick loud 
steps ill the adjoining 1:00m were audible, 
and a voice asked after him. The Secretary 
had not yet given an answer, before the door was 
thrown open and Ossipovitch saw the Grand 
Duke Demetrius standing before him. He started 
up, and leaned his left hand on the table for sup- 
port, unable to hide the surprise, which this visit 
occasioned him, for he thought that some of the 
outrages, which his lust had perpetrated upon 
some of the helpless women in the prison, had at 
last come to the hearing of the Czar. 

The most detestably mean class in Eussia are 
certainly the Government officials! There is no 
basness too base, no dishonesty too dishonest, no 
cringing too low, no lie too bare-faced, no time- 
serving too vile for them. 

When Ossipovitch unexpectedly saw the 
Grand Duke before him, he managed with 
suppressed agitation to ask the illustrious in- 
truder to what he owed the honor of His High- 
ness’ visit. 

Demetrius, in an easy matter of fact voice, soon 
made known the object of his call. 

The Governor now straightened his neck- 
cloth with his right hand and coughed, in order 
to hide his astonishment! for he thought, if it 
had been a woman, for whom the Grand Duke 
took the trouble to intercede, he could quite 
understand the motive!! but to trouble about 


162 


OELTA : 0 % 


tins wretched old man, this dog of a Tew, who 
did not even possess a daughter! 

However, “Your Highness is aware,” here- 
marked aloud, “ that this Isaac Goldstein is a very 
dangerous Nihilist 1 ” 

“ I’ll answer for his innocence,” Demetrius re- 
plied with a cold dignified bearing. 

The Governor looked amazed 1 1 1 

“Indeed,” he muttered, “well this alters the 
face of the question ; certainly, since it is your 
Highness’s desire, Isaac Goldstein will be released 
this afternoon.” 

“ At what time ? ” asked Demetrius. 

“ Of course there are certain formalities which 
must be signed,” answered Ossipovitch ; “it is 
now eleven o’clock, but by four this afternoon the 
prisoner will have been released.” 

“Very well,” replied Demetrius, “at four 
o’clock I will send some of his friends to meet 
him, for he leaves Russia early to-morrow morn- 
ing, never to return, and let me impress upon you ” 
he said slowly, “ never to mention this affair, if 
you value your position, for Justice has greatly 
erred, in this poor man’s case ; but I will add, 
that if you strictly carry out my wishes ; I will 
know how to further your promotion.” 

This last remark of the Duke’s was received 
with all the slavish obsequiousness of which only 
a Russian is capable, for at the coveted prize of 
promotion dangled before his eyes, the austere 
Governor of the Livona Zamok fell like a dog 


THE CZAB AND THE CANTATRICE. 


153 


before the Grand Duke’s feet, kissing them in 
token of gratitude 


CHAPTEE XX. 

Demethius drove with lightning spee«l to Gelta’s 
hotel in order to claim the much yearned for and 
long delayed kiss. She was at home when he called, 
and was perfectly delighted with the good news 
of which he was the bearer, but still she was 
obdurate to his pleadings. 

“No,” she answered, “not yet! I cannot give 
you the promised kiss, until I feel that poor 
Isaac Goldstein has safely left the country. 
Go!” she said coaxingly, “ see that his passport 
and papers are all ready upon his release, and 
I will at once call on Eabbi Kantrowitz so that 
he may go to the prison to welcome his poor 
friend to his house ; ” and then they parted. 

We will pass over how poor Isaac Goldstein 
fainted for sheer joy, when he Avas told after a 
period of eight month’s cruel confinement in a 
dark, lonely cell, that he Avas that day, to be re- 
leased from prison, a free man ; and Iioav Avhen he 
regained his consciousness he found himself in 
his friend’s house Avith the Eabbi bending over 
him, administering restoratiA^es, and how he for the 
first time looked upon the beautiful and heaven 
inspired face of her, Avho had taken so earnest an 
interest in his hopeless incarceration. When he 


154 


Cielta: or, 


was told that his wife and son were eagerly await- 
ing him in Vienna, his joy knew no bounds. He 
wept and laughed alternately, and threw himself 
at his friend’s feet, and attempted to do all sorts 
of extraordinary things to demonstrate the grati- 
tude which surged up within him, towards those 
two noble beings who had so befriended him. 

We will pass over too, how the Rabbi deter- 
mined to keep the release of his friend, and 
Gelta’s intercession for him, a secret, in order to 
keep a crowd of other afflicted Jews from troub- 
ling her with their hopeless sorrows. 

The next morning Gelta was in good time at 
the railway station, where she met the Rabbi with 
Isaac Goldstein, and his travelling companion. 

The blessings and sobs from the poor grateful 
traveller, rang in her ears as she hurriedly drove 
back to the hotel. 

Gelta on her way home had experienced a 
moment of supreme joy, when she remembered 
how accidently she had been the means of bring- 
ing so much happiness and beaming hope into 
the hearts of that poor despairing family. Oh ! 
how fervently she thanked God, for having so 
W'onderfully assisted her in her humble efforts. 
And then she thought of Demetrius, and her 
heart went out to him in gratitude ; for the first 
time a moment of pride swept over her for loving 
him, since he had so nobly assisted her, in this 
worthy deed, and her poor heart sank with self 
pity within her, as she sighed : “ Ah ! if Demetrius 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


155 


were only a Jew, and unfettered by liigli sounding 
titles, then we could live, oh, so happily ; but it 
is useless to even think yet,” she mentally con- 
cluded, “ 1, being a woman, it is my lot, to bear 
the burden, of the overladen heart, to love, and 
siiflfer, in silence.” 

Gelta had only returned to the hotel when the 
Grand Duke Demetrius was announced ; she knew 
that he had come to claim the fulfillment of her 
promise. Notwithstanding her disciplined self- 
control, her intense and high daring spirit, which 
always secretly sustained her, she was nervous 
and agitated, but only in her boudoir. When she 
entered the drawing room to welcome him, she 
seemed as calm, as if she were going to witness a 
play. 

They were alone. They looked at each 
other, their eyes met at the same moment, there 
was but one mode of satisfactorily terminating 
their mutual embarrassment, he sprang forward 
and clasped her in his arms. Ah ! that was a 
moment of rapture, sweet, thrilling, rapid ! 
Their souls vaulted over all petty obstacles, 
their eyes unconsciously met, and upon her lips, 
her choice and trembling lips, he sealed his in- 
tense love, and his everlasting devotion. 

It was only a minute since she had entered the 
room, but during that short time, they had lived 
an eternity of love ! Not a word had been 
uttered, for the mighty rush of feeling had dazed 
them both ; but now he seemed to regain con- 


156 


Gelta: or, 


sciousness, for from liis lips a sigli of joy issued, 
as lie pressed her tightly to his bosom, and then 
he murmured. 

“ Ah, my darling, why should we try to hide 
our intense deep natural feeling ? Why continue 
to try to deceive one another? Love, is the 
holiest feeling, which can unite two souls. Oh ! 
dearest, let us be all in all to each other.” 

Gelta looked up, her eyes met his, a wild ex- 
pression of surprise, fear, delight, played over 
her countenance, for she in the meeting of his 
lips, had felt the sweet sting of love. A whirl of 
images passed before her, but at last she released 
herself with a quick movement from the hold of 
the man she loved, and clasping her hands to- 
gether the thought, ‘‘ Oh ! if he were only one of 
my own religion,” and then she burst into a sigh 
so bitter, profound and full of anguish, and sud- 
denly fled from his sight. 


CHAPTER XXL 

Nicholas Boroffsky meanwhile continued as 
deeply as ever engaged in his Nihilistic plots in 
Paris. He and his confederates had almost per- 
fected arrangements whereby the Czar and some 
of the imperial members were to perish, 
while attending a great ball which was soon 
to take place. He also had Gelta’s movements 


THE CZAE AND THE CANTATEICE. 


157 


watclied by liis agents, for lie really loved her, he 
knew of the Grand Duke Demetrius’s passion for 
her, and he smiled a cynical smile, at this young 
man’s suffering, for he knew too well the force of 
character of Gelta, knew that the Jewish instinct 
was too strong in her, to choose a man other than 
a Hebrew. His own love for her had grown 
stronger, since they had last met, for when dis- 
tance hides the loved object from view, it is then, 
we conjure up the many dangers with which the 
idol is surrounded. He felt inwardly grateful to 
Gelta that she had resisted his solicitations, for 
he had now two great aims in life, one to give 
tyranny its death blow, by killing the Czar, and the 
other through his many kind acts toward the 
poor Jews, eventually to win Gelta for his wife. 

Mrs. Wilson was one of the many ladies in St. 
Petersburg with whom Boroffsky constantly cor- 
responded, and to whom he frequently sent little 
Parisian knick-knacks, as a silent token of his 
admiration, for he was too much a man of the 
world, not to understand, that married women 
generally, are sensitive and eagerly appreciate 
the admiration, and presents, of their adorers, as 
compensation for the neglect of their own hus- 
bands. 

To Mrs. Wilson’s credit, be it said, she never 
for a moment suspected the instrument she was 
innocently made, and her mere confidential cor- 
respondence concerning the inner movements of 
St. Petersburg societj^ was of immense value to 


158 


GELTA : OR, 


Boroffsky. Gelta, however, from tlie very day 
that Mrs. Wilson had mentioned Boroffsky's 
friendship, suspected, that Mrs. Wilson was in 
some way implicated, with the Nihilists, and she 
therefore determined, to keep aloof from her, as 
much as was consistent, with keeping her from 
suspecting her real motive. 

Directly after Gelta’s pronounced success, she 
had accepted a number of invitations to meet 
Russian society. Like all foreigners she was at 
first greatly impressed with the general hos- 
pitality, and kindness of heart, of the Russian 
families towards strangers, like the French, the 
Russians would say those pleasant-sounding, 
meaningless things, on being introduced. 

A dinner party in Russia differed very little in 
its menu, from the French, but the conversations 
to an intelligent, and pure-minded person, were 
very painful, and uninteresting, for, as politics 
were most dangerous subjects to talk about, con- 
versation took the form of depicting the latest 
Parisian gown, or discussing some newly dis- 
covered flirtation, or paying insincere personal 
compliments. The overstrained sentiments, the 
caricatures of affection, the familiarity with vice 
were the staple of their ‘‘feast of reason,” and 
flow of thought. 

Gelta had often silently remarked with as- 
tonishment, the excessive want of general 
information among gentlemen ; many of them 
seemed to know nothing at all, beyond the 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


159 


frontier of the Empire ; knowledge was decidedly 
at a discount. Their showy exterior, their bril- 
liant accomplishments of music, and dancing, 
their fluency in speaking so many foreign 
languages, were apt to strike with surprise, and 
obtain them credit for possessing, all those solid 
acquirements, which with other nations are the 
sine qua-non of a good education. Converse on 
any scientific subject, would astonish every one, 
for it soon demonstrated how very little real 
knowledge they possessed. 

Another peculiar trait in the Eussian character 
which greatly astonished Gelta, was that a 
Eussian, will frequently pretend, an intimate 
acquaintance with a subject, of which he is per- 
fectly ignorant, yet so well will he conceal this 
fact, that he will keep up the deception, for an 
incredible time ; when all at once he will ask 
some extraordinarily stupid question, which 
shows you that he has not understood a single 
syllable, of all, that has been said. 

The Eussian women are very benevolent, and 
charitable. However the immoral conduct, and 
the inconceivable want of delicacy of many of 
the ladies of rank, cannot fail to have a very un- 
favorable influence, on others below them, 
especially, as the nobility is regarded as the 
criterion of what is right ; for they pass their 
existence in reclining on the sofa smoking 
cigarettes, and reading some sill}" low French 
novel (for it seems the rule with tjie Censor’^ 


160 


gelta: ok, 


office, to let all the books and French novels pass, 
that are likely to increase the demoralization of 
the nation, and to exclude all those, that would 
tend, to its enlightenment), or when in company, 
they resort to the card-table. To this general 
rule, there are of course many exceptions ; for 
Kussia possesses many a virtuous, and noble 
hearted woman, who is an ornament, and a 
pattern, to her sex. But in speaking of a nation, 
one takes the majority, and how can it be other- 
wise, in a country, where so absurd a department 
exists, as that of Censor! through which all 
books and papers must pass, before they reach 
the community. 

The extreme fear of the government, lest the 
nation should become too enlightened, will some 
time or other meet with its just reward, and it is 
to be hoped, that the time is not far distant, for 
Bussia may as well attempt to curb the waves of 
the Atlantic, as to stem the tide of civilization, in 
its course round the world. 

To a high minded woman like Gelta, these 
gatherings of shallow minded beings, was exceed- 
ingly distasteful, and offering the fatigue, occa- 
sioned by her evening performance, as an ex- 
cuse, she managed without offending them, to 
absent herself from their uninteresting midst. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


161 


CHAPTER XXIL 

Nearly a month had passed since Gelta had 
kept her promise in giving Demetrius his well 
earned kiss, and then had fled from his presence. 
Of course he immediately wrote to her imploring 
her pardon, if he had unconsciously offended her, 
and many a letter of his followed, in which he 
brought all his reasoning power to demonstrate 
the purity of his thoughts towards her. He 
besought her to consider that angels in heaven 
gave each other the kiss as an emblem of divine 
love, that holy pilgrims indulge in kissing their 
saints, etc. 

What made her relent and forgive his impe- 
tuosity, was when a couple of weeks later, she 
received a photograph group containing the now 
happy faces of Mr. and Mrs. Goldstein and their 
son, with the inscription written underneath, “to 
our guardian angel,” and a long letter wherein 
they told her how happy, and comfortable they 
now lived, united once more, and that they had 
all three made a solemn vow, to fast a whole day 
out of each week, during an entire year, and offer 
constant prayers to God, for her everlasting 
happiness. Tears of joy streamed down Gelta’s 
face, while reading their very touching senti- 
ments of gratitude, and as she sat gazing at the 
group of faces in the photograph, she thought 


162 


gelta: oe, 


how, through God’s divine will, and hor humble 
efforts, these three human beings had been 
snatched from a barbarous death. And with the 
thought, came the remembrance of how Demetrius 
had noblj done his share, and her heart relented, 
and went out to him in gratitude, and so he was 
forgiven and allowed to call on condition that 
the compact of platonic love should be sacredly 
adhered to, and so the repentant Demetrius 
managed daily to see as much of his idol, as he 
possibly could. 

For about a week after Gelta had forgiven him, 
he was very quiet and reserved, for in her pres- 
ence he now feared himself, and his love never 
took the shape of tender expressions, which are 
the daily bread of human happiness, but as he 
silently observed that her faith and trust in him 
grew stronger each day, he became bolder in his 
expressions against the durability of platonic 
love. 

It was one afternoon towards the end of March 
that Gelfa on returning from one of her peregrin- 
ations which she always insisted on making alone, 
found the devoted Demetrius in her drawing 
room patiently awaiting her arrival; after due 
salutations and enquiries, and while sipping 
some deliciously brewed tea, he began as had 
been his wont of late, to denounce Platonism. 
He said that since he found that Gelta did not 
approve of his theories of angels in heaven who 
gave each other the kiss as a divine emblem of 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 1G3 

love, justly reasoning that the angels did not re- 
quire demonstrative emblems in order to recog- 
nize divine love, his faith in Platonic love had 
began to waver. After having that afternoon sat 
without uttering a word for some time, he sud- 
denly exclaimed, 

“ Gelta, we are unwittingly persuing a delusion! 
for Platonic loving is a monstrous, unnatural state, 
it resembles the balancing of a clown, who stands 
on tiptoe on an ignited bomb shell. The possi- 
bility of his standing there is granted, but how 
long can it last ? 

“Do not disturb my peace of mind,” she re- 
plied, “ I am content to pass my existence there. 
Besides,” she continued in a sweet plaintive voice, 
“if you will recall your memory you will find 
that it was you who first proposed Platonic love, 
and pleaded so long with me, to accept its bonds 
with you. As for myself, before you mentioned 
it, I was not aware that Platonic love existed, but 
now that I have accepted its conditions, my char- 
acteristic Jewish constancy, does not permit me 
to easily retract, what I have once accepted. 
However, if as you Say, to continue its relation- 
ship threatens danger for you,” she added quickly 
as at that moment he looked inquiringly into her 
eyes, “if the danger to you,” she repeated, “seems 
so imminent,” then, she slowly added, in measured 
tones, “ we must not meet alone — I cannot allow, 
your visits to me to continue any longer.” He 
bit his lips, but offered no comment. 


164 


gelta: or, 


“What a vast difference,” she softly said with a 
sigh of regret, “ there is between a woman’s love 
for a man, and a man’s love for a woman. With 
a woman, when she loves, there is no self-sacri- 
fice, that she would not gladly undergo, for his 
sake, in order to raise him in the eyes of God, 
and the world, to the highest post of honor.” 

“I do not understand you,” he murmured. 

“I will explain myself more clearly,” she an- 
swered. “1 will become personal. If you are 
really sincere in your wish which you have so 
often broached to me, that you are willing to for- 
feit all your titles and wealth, you see I choose 
for the moment to ignore the difference of reli- 
gion, which separates us. If,” she repeated,^ you 
are really sincere in wanting to forfeit your social 
position, in order that you may be able to lead 
an obscure life, in some distant country with me, 
as your wife, I cannot but acknowledge that 
yours, is a great love, but I will prove to you that 
my love for you is far greater: inasmuch, as I 
would never accept, your proffered sacrifice, 
which would lead you into a selfish aimless life: 
but on the contrary, I wish my love, to be the in- 
ccMtive^ leading you to perform grand, and noble, 
deeds; lifting you upon the highest pinnacle of 
glory, which lies within man’s power to attain, in 
this world.” 

“ I do not follow your idea,” he interposed. 

“ Pray do not interrupt me,” she replied, “ un- 
til I shall have explained myself more fully.” 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


165 


With a slow submissive bow of the head he 
acquiesced and Gelta began. “ The man,” she 
said, “who has had the power to penetrate my 
soul, I look upon as one of nature’s greatest 
noble men; and I crave the world at large, should 
know him as such, that his name, should live in 
loving veneration, in the hearts of humanity, for 
centuries to come. What are you at present?” 
she asked, with a deep sad sigh, “ a member of 
the Imperial family, aye, one of many ! in the 
eyes of most people. You are only another 
coming despot. Oh ! how deeply it pains me, 
when I think that others cannot see your nobility 
of heart, and mind, as I do ; when I think that 
others do not esteem, and love you, as you de- 
serve, but dearest, the world shall love, and 
reverence you ! and it will be through your own 
merit and good deeds ! ” 

Meanwhile he sat opposite her with his head 
resting on his hands and his eyes rivetted on the 
rug at his feet, each word of hers penetrated his 
soul, for it was the first time he had heard from 
her own bps, that she really loved him. He did 
not move or utter a word, in order not to frighten 
her and thereby check the flow of her soul. 

“You told me,” she continued, growing elo- 
quent with her thoughts, “3"ou told me,” she 
repeated, “ after the release of Isaac Goldstein, 
that a wave of intense pity swept over your soul 
in witnessing the wretched lot of the poor per- 
secuted Jews, and you said you felt grateful to me 


166 


gelta: OE, 


for having aroused, that deep, human feeling, for 
your fellow sufferers ; of which before, you did 
not think yourself capable.” 

“ Yes, caro mio,'' she murmured as she dropped 
on the rug at his feet and leaning her beautiful 
head on his knees in abandon of womanly trust, 
she repeated, “ well, my dearest, let me still 
further influence you for good, for in the natural 
course of things sooner or later, you will yourself 
wield the sceptre over Kussia. Therefore I want 
you to promise me,” she said with impassioned 
fervor, “ when that blessed time arrives, that 
you will emancipate yourself from the barbarous 
traditions of your misguided ancestors, that 3^011 
will spread a new era, filled with kindness and 
human compassion over the now desolate Russia. 
I want you to promise me, that you will grant 
the full and just right of honored citizenship to 
the descendents of the unjustly persecuted House 
of Israel.” 

He tenderly but silently pressed her hand as if 
in sympathetic touch with her own thoughts and 
feelings, and she continued to express her heart’s 
desire. 

‘‘ Look at history,” she suddenly said, “ review 
the tens of thousands of great men who were 
prominent during their time, and who held 
humanity awe-struck in their tyranneous grip. 
What,” Gelta suddenly exclaimed, growing ani- 
mated and eloquent with her subject. “What 
are their names to the world now that they are 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRlCE. 


167 


no more? Is it a Pharaoh, or a Nero, or a 
Bichelieu, or a Henry the Eighth, at the sound 
of whose name we now feel a glow of veneration ? 
No!” she continued with a half dreamy faraway 
look as if gazing at a world beyond the boun- 
daries of earth from whence she drew her inspi- 
ration. “ No ! their names are as dead, as they 
are themselves ; vanished from the reverence of 
the world, vanished from its memory, vanished 
with their tyrannical deeds deep into the bowels 
of mother earth. The world cares not for them, 
seldom recalls that they ever existed, for the 
world is cold, and therefore, it craves for love, deep, 
warm, grand, intense love. That is the only 
thing which can continue forever to rule. Love, 
is the only thing, which leaves its stamp upon 
vanishing centuries. Aye,” she continued with 
great enthusiasm, “ only one man of humble 
birth, realized the great secret of love more than 
eighteen hundred years ago 1 and that is the 
reason why humanity worships Him, His name. 
His every act to-day. Christ lives in the hearts 
of most men, as if he were in the midsts of their 
families, and the secret of all this worship is, 
because he tried to rule with love! Had he 
adopted a dictatorial attitude of command or 
compulsion, instead of kind persuasiveness, what 
would His name be to-day any more than that of 
a Pilate, a Csesar or a Titus. His name would 
have been crowded on the shelf of oblivion with 
thousands of others ; but instead of that, through 


168 


gelta: ok, 


the simple secret of love, His name stands out 
boldly, His noble image is engraven on the hearts 
of humanity, and His memory will continue fresh 
forever. Then why should you not,” she said, 
looking up pleadingly to the silently absorbed 
Demetrius, “ why should you not follow the noble 
example set hj this great good man, whom you 
worship as a God. Look at the representation 
of Him,” she exclaimed caressingly taking hold 
of a little golden cross with a raised Chris tus on 
it, which hung as a charm from his heavy watch 
chain, “ look at it! ” she repeated, “ how wearily 
He hangs His head, He is so tired, so very tired, 
of the lip service, with which you fashionable 
Christians attack Him daily. That was not the 
creed he* craved to disseminate, through the 
pitiless cold world 1 He does not want you to 
decorate your churches, or house walls, or parade 
streets, with banners with the Christian emblems 
on them. No 1 it is your proud cold hearts, which 
He desires you to clothe with human compassion 
and Christian love. A good deed be it ever so 
tiny, or emanating from the humblest of beings, 
is to Him far more than eloquent prayers from 
the proudest in the land, or the hymns of a crowd 
of fashionable hypocritical devotees.” 

The Count Demetrius who had been sitting for 
some time silently listening to the eloquent flow 
of her soul was about to speak, when Gelta with 
pleading voice, asked him not to interrupt her 
until she had finished. Then with her clasped 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTaTRICE. l69 

hands resting on his right knee, she earnestly 
looked lip into his face, as if she would probe for 
his very soul, then she continued to pour out the 
flow of her thoughts. 

‘‘ Now dear,” she said, “ instead of encouraging 
you to pass a selfish obscure life in some strange 
distant land, I want you to remain at your post of 
duty, here in Eussia. You must not think of 
yourself, but of the ninety million souls, whose 
happiness, and welfare, it will be in your power 
to advance, that thought alone, ought to make your 
own individual feelings, shrink into nought, for 
true happiness consists, in making others happy. 

‘‘The time will arrive when Eussia will look to 
you as its dictator. It is then you will need the 
strength of character, which I crave to impress 
upon your noble heart, to break away from the 
despotism of the past. Let sj^mpathy for the 
suffering be the sceptre which you will wield ; it 
is then only, that you will become a true Chris- 
tian. By nobly putting into practice the divine 
teachings of Christ, you Avill serve Judaism ; for 
true Christianity is merely transposed Judaism, 
or it is nothing ; both are one, and the same, and 
mean a pure, and ideal life, to work, to help, to 
suffer, for the happiness of others.” 

“But Gelta, I love you,” Demetrius suddenly 
exclaimed as if awakening from a silent dream, 
“ I love you, wdth you as an inspiration at my 
side, I am capable of accomplishing all that you 
have just depicted, for you are the life of my 


170 


GELTA : OE, 


•T 

yearning soul, without you, Gelta, I cannot live,” 
and throwing himself on the rug at her feet, from 
which she had just risen like a frightened bird, 
at his unexpected outburst, he kissed her hands 
most passionately. 

‘‘Oh! Gelta,” he murmured as he gently drew 
her in his arms, “your sublime love for suffering 
humanity, is so divinely deep, so brimming over 
with compassion, that it is awe-inspiring. But 
can you not,” he asked in a low, musical voice, 
“bestow a touch of it on this poor suffeier? I am 
only human,” he pleaded with a sad sigh, “al- 
though at times I think I was born to conquer 
nations, but when I am near you I find how weak 
and helpless I am, for I cannot even conquer my 
own self,” and then he clasped her most tenderly 
to his bosom. 

“ Swear to me,” she said, her mind still occu- 
pied with the thought of Russia's oppressed 
souls, “swear to me,” she repeated^ “that when 
the time comes for you to govern Russia, that 
you will inaugurate a Human Era, and that you 
will love the chosen people of God as you do 
Jesus Christ, who was a son of the noble House of 
Israel.” 

“I solemnly swear!” he answered, “by my own 
mother, who next to you is the only woman whose 
sacred image is engraven on my heart. I swear!” 
he repeated, “that if ever the time comes when I 
shall be called to govern Russia, I will encourage 
Progress and Enlightenment among my subjects, 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


171 


and bring them freedom of thought, and expres- 
sion! It shall be a reign of merciful: justice, and 
human kindness towards all!’ 

At his solemnly sworn promise, Gelta impul- 
sively threw her arms for the first time round his 
neck, bursting into tears of gratitude, she hid her 
face upon his breast. He did not disturb this 
effusion of her suppressed emotions. His tlirob- 
bing heart responded to her tumultuous soul! At 
last, when the strength of ner passionate abandon 
had somewhat decreased, when the convulsive 
sobs had subsided into gentle sighs, and ever and 
anon he felt the pressure of her sweet lips, seal- 
ing her gratitude and love upon his bosom, she 
said in a smothered voice: “No matter Demetrius, 
if I shall be far away, or near you, whether I 
shall be alive, or not, always remember the 
solemn promise you have just given.” 

“ Yes,” he whispered, “ I will for your sake,” 
and then he pressed her more tenderly to his 
heart, the rapture within him growing stronger 
and stronger. “ I will do all for your sake,” he 
murmured, “for you are my queen ! the greatest 
queen, of your beautiful sex.” And as he gazed 
into her superb dark Jewish eyes, lit up with 
the fire of love, and at her beautiful rosy warm 
lips he asked hoarsely, 

“May I?” 

“ No, no ! ” she quickly replied with a tremulous 
sigh, as she pushed him with downcast eyes 
gently from her, “Eemember,” she murmured 


172 


gelta: or, 


pleadingly, “ Tour word of honor, never to insist 
for a kiss again, unless I take the initiative.” 

“ Great God,” he exclaimed in agitated tones, 
‘•My word of honor, how can a man battle 
against the law of his being, and resist the draw- 
ing of the magnet? its influence of love? ” 

“Well I can resist,” Gelta severely replied, 
“ and that is just the difference between people, 
who carry their honor and their religion home 
from church in their prayer book, and others, who 
simply have honor and religion engraven upon 
their hearts.” That instant Gelta looked so saintly, 
that he felt a pang of remorse for the warm and 
trivial words he had uttered. He had no other 
excuse but that of his frankness. He had but 
clothe the thoughts of his heart, and as he felt 
himself becoming overpowered hy one absorbing 
desire — to press her to his bosom, he abruptly 
quitted her presence, before it should be too late. 


CHAPTER XXIIL 

It was the last week in March. The musical 
season was drawing to an end, another two weeks 
and the Opera House would close until the 
autumn. All the foreign singers would then take 
their departure, leaving many admirers and well- 
wishers behind. 

Gelta partially welcomed the f n de saison. She 
felt instinctively that for some time past, her 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


173 


position toward Demetrius had become harder to 
bear. Many a time during her prayers, or in the 
silence of the night, she would reproach herself 
for havii]g ever listened to his passionate plead- 
ings, and thereby unconsciously encouraged him ; 
and at the thought she felt a deep pain in her 
heart, for she well knew that for a Jewess, to en- 
courage a love, which cannot be reciprocated, is 
considered, a mortal sin ; and the remorse cut 
deep into her soul, and she wept bitterly ; for she 
felt conscious that notwithstanding all obstacles, 
she loved him ! and that feeling had taken hold 
of her, independent of her will. She might hide 
the deep emotion from others, but it was utterly 
impossible, to hide it from herself, and when she 
felt most overwhelmed with grief and remorse, 
the three faces of the Goldstein family would 
appear in her mind’s eye, like three absolving 
angels, and she would then quiet her conscience 
by the fact, that at least three sufferers had 
derived a benefit from her love, for this noble 
hearted Gentile. 

Gelta had determined to see as little of Deme- 
trius before her departure as was possible to 
without seriously causing him any pain. She felt 
happy in the promise which she had extracted 
from him, if he should one day rule Russia, and 
she knew he would keep his word which he had 
so solemnly given her. Even if he should never 
see her again, she believed that he would keep 
his promise, 


174 


GELTA : on, 


Gelta liad promised to attend the Princess 
Zenaide Stepanovna Starabielsky’s ball, which 
was to take place in her palace, the night after the 
closing of the Opera season, having received a very 
pressing invitation from the Princess herself, who 
also intimated that although it Avas still a court 
secret, the Emperor Avould be there, and that it 
Avas an eA^ent in one’s life to see the Emperor’s 
most gracious attentions to the ladies assembled 
in a ball-room. 

Gelta had a stronger reason for wishing to meet 
the Emperor again, they had met on several 
occasions behind the scenes at the Opera, and 
once at a reception, but as he Avas always sur- 
rounded by a croAvd of courtiers, very feAV words 
Avere exchanged between them. But now, before 
her departure, she intended to ask the Czar, for a 
personal audience, in order to plead Avith him on 
behalf of the poor Prussian Jews. 

Mrs. Wilson continued to visit Gelta quite 
often, but although Gelta always received her 
English friend most graciously, she neA^er alloAved 
that feminine intimacy to spring up between them, 
and she never noAV accepted, any of the many 
invitations for drives, dinners, etc., Avhich Mrs. 
Wilson ahvays took such pains to offer her. The 
fact was, that Gelta in her very heart, suspected 
Mrs. Wilson of being one of Boroffsky’s agents ; 
and she therefore determined, to keep herself 
aloof, from their plottings. Since the day when 
Mrs. Wilson had mentioned her friend’s name to 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


175 


her, Gelta had never in any of her many chats re- 
ferred to Boroffsky; and so Mrs. Wilson con- 
cluded, with true feminine penetration, that he 
must have desired to be more than a simple ad- 
mirer of the beautiful American, and that ac- 
counted for Gelta’s distaste of ever mentioning 
his name, and so there had sprung up a silent 
understanding, between them, never to mention 
the man’s name with whom they mentally asso- 
ciated each other. 

It was a week before the Princess Starabielsky’s 
ball was to be given, and it had been decided by 
Boroffsky, and his faithful followers, that the fatal 
bomb, which was to transport the Czar and his 
family into eternity, was to salute his Majesty, as 
he seated himself on the improvised throne at the 
head of the ball room. They were sanguine of 
ultimate success, for the leading professor of 
chemistry, in St. Petersburg, Vladimir Koretyki 
whose name and zealous devotedness to the Czar 
his master, were household words, was one of 
their chief conspirators, he had also initiated into 
the cause, one of the Bussian belles at court, a 
sister-in-law of Princess Starabielsky’s, who had 
been married to her husband. Prince de Socoloflf 
for over fifteen years, and who was the hien-aimee 
for the last three years, of the elegant and witty 
Vladimir Koretyki; and so the Nihilists were 
justified in their feverish anticipations, of the 
blow that was to proclaim, right over might 


176 


GELTA : OR, 


CHAPTER XXIV. 

One night while Demetrius was sadly reflecting 
upon the end of the musical season drawing so 
near, he was seized with a sudden determination, 
for he knew that Gelta intended immediately after 
the closing of the Opera, to return to Paris, and he 
also felt, that when once there, she would escape 
him forever ; for he knew that this daughter of 
Israel, would undergo all the tortures of the 
flesh, in order not to marry out of her religion, so 
as not to offend her God. He paced nervously up 
and down his room, torn by contending emotions. 
It seemed impossible for him to live apart from 
her, for the first thought on waking was of Gelta ; 
amidst all his material occupations, her face was 
before Iiim ; her name rested unspoken on his 
lips, and at night, the last thought before sleep 
came to woo him, was of her. The visions in his 
sleep were of her, and the night belonged to her 
as much as the day. Each of these various 
dreams was of love, at times glowing, then des- 
pairing, at times victorious, then doubtful ; at 
times so happy that he would awake with pal- 
pitating heart, and then so sad that he would cry, 
and sob and bewail the time when he should be 
doomed to wear a crown, to be dragged down by 
its weight ; and thereby be separated from the 
partner of his soul, then worn out by grief, the 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


177 


quiet of tlie niglit took up Lis sigLs and sobs and 
poured them into the mighty ocean of forgetful- 
ness, where all vanishes, and all is re-born. 
Awaking, and having for several hours paced up 
and down his room, he made an awful resolve, he 
felt that he knew women too well, not to under- 
stand, that this sweet, pure girl, would never con- 
sent because of her religious scruples, to become 
his wife, but, thought he, his face assuming a 
sterner aspect, as the idea became more fixed in 
his mind, “ if her first stubbornness can be over- 
come, we shall live happy ever after.” And with 
this determined idea he went to call on Gelta, 
whom he had not found at home for the last two 
days. 

When Demetrius was shown into her drawing- 
room he found her robed in a silver blue crepe de 
Chine tea gown ; she was busily writing, and had 
just finished a letter to the Goldstein family, 
wherein she enclosed several letters of introduc- 
tion to a number of eminent critics, and one to 
the Director of the Vienna Opera House, warmly 
recommending to them the promising young 
pianist ; for Gelta never tired in her efforts to do 
good. She rose and welcomed Demetrius with 
calm composure, but the sudden sparkle of her 
eyes and the flush on her cheeks, betrayed the 
secret of her heart. 

A first ray of spring sunshine pierced its way 
through the golden plush curtains in such a 
mRuuer that it fell full on Gelta’s face ; she had 


178 


GELTA : OR, 


never before appeared so radiantly beautiful to 
him. He drew a chair up close beside her and 
taking both her hands in his, gazed into her face 
long and earnestly. 

“Wliat is troubling you?” she asked, sym- 
pathetically. 

“ Your going to leave Russia so soon,” he an- 
swered, with a heavy sigh. 

Gelta slowly withdrew her hands and ex- 
claimed, lightly : 

‘‘ Oh, don’t think about it, we shall soon meet 
again.” 

‘‘ But what is the use of building hopes of soon 
meeting again,” he wistfully replied, “when we 
are already here ?” 

She mutely stared at him, while her mind was 
devising how to ask him to leave, without seriously 
offending him, with a sad dejected mien and with 
a muffled voice which liad a tinge of despair in it 
he moaned. 

“ Ah ! your love, Gelta, is not so deep as mine — 
it cannot be, for if I thought it were-rrr-” 

“If you thought it were,” she quietly repeated, 

what then?” 

“What then?” he replied with suppressed 
agitation, “ why I would for once put it to the 
test ! It is this very uncertainty that I fear it will 
not stand the test, which gnaws at my inward 
soul ; for my love for you is so intensely deep, 
that if the test should fail, why, then my heart 
would burst.” 


THE CZXll AND THE CANTATEICE. 


179 


‘‘We will defer this topic for another time,” 
Gelta though trembling with emotion, answered 
somewhat coldly, at the same time rising as if to 
quit his presence. 

“ Oh ! Gelta,” he cried imploringl}^ catching 
hold of her hands as if to force her to listen to 
him, “"Ah! my precious one, I want you to be 
near me, do you not understand ! always, always 
near me,” he pleaded with impassioned fervor. 

“ But what is the use of desiring for our friend- 
ship to continue,” she interposed, “ if we quarrel 
all the time ? ” 

“Oh! Gelta,” he cried helplessly, the tears 
almost welling up into his eyes, “ can you not 
realize that you are the essence of my yearning 
soul? can you not realize that my love for you 
has grown so intensely deep that it is beyond all 
reasoning power ? ” 

“ There, there, I must go now,” Gelta answered 
agitatedly ; as at the same time she tried to re- 
lease herself from his frantic grasp. “ It is a 
mortal sin for me to listen to your passionate 
outbursts ; and it is cruel,” she continued in a 
hurried voice, “ for you to torture me thus, release 
me,” she exclaimed determinedly. “I must go 1 I 
forbid 3^011 to call on me again, if you thus try 
my patience,” she said Avith firmness, “ and I will 
giA^e orders to that effect.” 

“ Yery Avell,” he replied hotly, “ you have sealed 
your fate,” and quickl}" clasping her in his arms 
whispered^ “you must be mine.” Then he kissed 


180 


gelta: or, 


lier again and again ; oli so passionately, as lie 
pi'essed lier more tightly to liis bosom. 

“You are cruel,” she cried in piteous tones : 
“ let me go, it is a sin thus to embrace me, and I 
detest you for it ! ” 

Then the hatred of being opposed over-mastered 
him. “You loill he mine,'' he whispered. He 
seemed to be losing all self-control ; scarlet spots 
appeared on his pale cheeks ; his grey, deep-set 
eyes blazed with an unholy fire ; one single feeling 
burned within him : the indomitable wish to 
possess her. The man changed into the master; 
his arms were no longer human, for they encircled 
her form like bands of iron ; his eyes had a wild 
glare in them ; her struggles to release herself 
were futile — for across his face there w’^as only 
one look — the look of the conqueror. 

Like a flash of lightning Gelta realized her 
helplessness. “ wit against his strength,” she 
thought; and with that she uttered half aloud: 

“Look, the princess has entered !” and then in 
a loud voice she quickly said, “ Good afternoon, 
princess.” 

Taken by surprise he let go his prey, and Gelta 
darted out of the room crying out “ that he must 
never cross her path again,” 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


181 


CHAPTER XXV. 

It was three da3"s before the closing of the 
Opera House, Gelta had received a number of let- 
ters from the apparently repentant Demetrius, in 
wliich he implored her to grant him one more in- 
terview before her departure. But she remained 
firm in her determination not to speak to him 
again while in Russia, and if possible never to 
see him again; for she had awakened to the reali- 
zation that if she pardoned his impulsiveness, 
she in so doing, became guilty of encouraging a 
love which could never be completed; and she 
was too pure a woman, and too good a Jewess, 
conscientiously to foster a love, which could not 
be sanctified by man or God ; and so she remained 
obdurate, and refused both to see him, or receive 
any of his letters. 

She was now more determined than ever in the 
resolution which she had formed to attend the 
Starabielsky ball, with the sole aim of asking the 
Czar for a private interview, at which she inten- 
ded to plead in behalf of her persecuted race, so 
that she might feel satisfied after her departure 
from Russia, to which she never intended to re- 
turn, that at least she had done her mite, to 
intercede for those left behind, whose lot, ap- 
peared so hopeless; for she felt convinced, that 
behind that harsh cold, stony mnsk, which like 


182 


gelta: or, 


the Egyptian Sphinx covered the Czar’s features, 
there must somewhere, in the inner recesses of 
his heart, be a good deal of pent-up humanity. 
Of course during her stay she had on several oc- 
casions met the Empress and other female mem- 
bers of the Imperial famil}', but from several of 
their remarks expressed upon general topics they 
had impressed Gelta as being extremely vain; 
shallow minded and telfish; with their eyes and 
ears constantly absorbed in attending to their 
own personal pleasures; and the Empress to all 
outward api^earance was so thoroughly Russian 
in her likes, and dislikes, that Gelta viewed her 
with compassion, for she instinctively felt that 
the Empress was a good woman, perhaps lacking 
in depth of sympathetic character, but still a 
good woman. However Gelta concluded that the 
Empress of Russia was perhaps following the 
dictates of the autocrat, instead of those of her 
womanly heart, in appearing to be heart and soul 
in harmony with Russian hates and fanaticisms; 
for not being a Russian by birth, perhaps she 
considered it diplomatic, to assume to be more 
so, by adoption 

In civilized life, where the happiness, and in- 
deed almost the existence of man depends so 
much upon the opinion of his fellow man, he is 
constantly acting a studied part. The bold and 
peculiar traits of native character are refined away, 
or softened down, by the leveling influence of 
what is termed good-breeding; and he practices 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


183 


60 many petty deceptions, and aflfects so many 
generous sentiments for the purpose of popularity, 
that it is very difficult to distinguish his real, from 
his artificial character. Of course Gelta’s con- 
ception of what married life ought to be; was that 
the wife should make it the study of her life to 
have full influence over her husband; in a quiet 
subtle maimer to develop fully all the good and 
human traits in her husband’s character, and be his 
ministering angel, constantly to urge him to exer- 
cise the best of his nature, by always aiming to do 
what is just, and human, toward his fellow beings. 
'When the wife loves her husband, and recognizes 
that it must be her duty, to influence him for 
good, and does her utmost to accomplish that 
laudable task, then she is really before God and 
man a legitimate wife; without this love and self- 
imposed duty, she is nothing more, than a con- 
cubine. 

Gelta, after having many a time reflected over 
the matter, concluded, that it was best to go 
straight to the head, for a favor, without troub- 
ling any intermediates, and so she determined 
upon pleading with the Czar, in propria persona 
for the misunderstood and unjustly persecuted 
House of Israel. 


184 


gelta: or, 


CHAPTER XXVL 

It was three days before the StarabiMsty ball, 
Gelta had just called upon the Rabbi Kantrowit25 
to offer what money she could spare towards the 
poor ; and also to take a last look of compassion 
at the poor Jews in that Russian Ghetto, for she 
did not think that she should have the time to 
call again before her departure. 

They were sitting in the dimly lit reception 
room, the Rabbi had just finished giving Gelta a 
brief account of how he had disposed of her 
contributions to those, whom he considered most 
helpless ; and Gelta felt a moment’s happiness, as 
she listened to the many little comforts, bestowed 
on those, whose lot was so dark. 

“Well, Rabbi,” she said, “before I take my 
leave I should very much like to know what is your 
candid opinion in regard to the condition of the 
Russian Jews ; for you know,” she continued, “ that 
there will be a cilmax some day, somewhere.” 

“ True . my child,” Rabbi Kantrowitz replied, 
slowly shaking his patriarchal head, while his 
figure appeared more imposing ; the far away 
look in his eyes seemed to pierce through some 
dark distant cloud, where he saw the bright light 
of civilization crowned with religion’s brightest 
gem, of love to all beings ! “True my child,” he 
slowly repeated, “ there will have to be a climax 


The czar and the cantatrice. 185 

Somewhere ; aRcl that somewhere,’^ he said in a 
low prophetic voice, “will be right here in Ens- 
sia ! And that great climax for which civilization 
is earnestly watching will be brought about by 
the efforts of the combined government of all the 
civilized nations ; who will recognize it as their 
Divine duty to interfere in the name of linmauit}^ 
and progressive enlightenment ! The foreign gov- 
ernments,” he continued, “ are already beginning 
to recognize their mistake in their dealings with 
Kiissia, for you see the American and English 
governments have already decided not to allow 
aii}^ more of the Eussian emigrants to enter their 
ports ; and quite right they are too, in adopting 
such strenuous measures ; for what is the use of 
allowing their respective countries to become 
filled to over-flowing with these poor penniless 
aliens. The hospitality is a misdirected kind- 
ness,” continued the Eabbi, growing eloquent 
with the full knowledge of his subject, “ for Eus- 
sia should be taught, to keep her poor people at 
home, and allow them to live, in their own mother 
country in peace ! It is a cruelty towards the 
poor English, and American working people, to 
allow strangers to snatch the daily bread from 
their mouths ! It is a cruelty towards the poor 
Eussians, to encourage them to come to a strange 
land, where not being able to speak the native 
language, they are compelled to receive in silence 
all the rebuffs and bitter prejudice constantly 
heaped upon them in their helpless position.” 


186 


Gelta: OB, 


‘‘ Oh, good Eabbi,” said Gelta with tears glis- 
tening in her glorious eyes, “ how I wish that the 
nations would join in a crusade for the redemp- 
tion of the Jew, as they did of old for the redemp- 
tion of Jerusalem. That would be far more to 
the glory of Christ, than were the crusades of the 
Middle Ages, for it would mean, not the rescue 
of His sepulchre, but of His people. 

“ And now, good Eabbi,” Gelta resumed after a 
moment’s pause, “I should like to know whether 
you would care to leave Eussia, if througli in- 
fluence your position could be assured, either in 
London, or in Paris ! ” 

“No, my child,” he answered with severe 
dignity; his patriarchal face assuming a stern 
reproachful expression ; and then hesitating for a 
moment and letting his stern demeanor relax at 
her kindly meant offer, he continued. “ My child, 
a Eabbi’s duty is to seek out and mingle with 
those who are most wretched ! In the gay city 
of Paris or of London the poor can do without 
my humble services, but here, in Eussia, here, 
where the Czar compels the children of Israel 
to sit in ashes and sack-cloth ; here, where Israel’s 
forced tears are the blood of its heart, here, must 
I abide at the side of my sorely stricken people ; 
until it shall please God to release my soul from 
this land, where man’s inhumanity to man, reigns 
supreme.” 

Gelta felt awed with admiration at the unselfish 
resignation of this noble-hearted man. She im- 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


187 


pulsively cauglit both liis hands and kissed them 
Avifch fervid devotion before he had time to with- 
draw them, then with tears in her eyes she said, 
“ Now, good Rabbi, give me your blessing, for I 
fear I shall not have time before my departure to 
call on you again ! 

After complying with her wish, he told her that 
he would be sure to be at the station before her 
train would start, and that he would then present 
her with a small Bible, which he had had in his 
possession for over fifty years, and which he felt 
would be a Talisman of continued good luck to 
her. And so they parted. 


CHAPTER XXVIL 

Gelta arose the next morning fresh as a June 
rose ; the thought that she was so soon to leave 
Russia far behind her, with its spying, its lying, its 
hates, its lusts made her feel almost light-hearted. 
After a good breakfast, the air being so clear and 
bracing, she decided to take a long walk. 

Spring, so abrupt in its sudden appearance ; 
spring, so peculiar on the border of the Neva, so 
unlike the real spring, had arrived during the 
preceding night. Snow-fiakes still glistened like 
diamonds on the walls of the houses. The icicles 
Jianging from the roofs were shedding tears over 
the approaching end of the winter season. 


188 


gelta: ok, 


The inhabitants of Petersburg had hurried out 
into the streets to enjoy, and welcome, the first 
rays of spring. The capital presented a character 
of liveliness and gaiety. Oh ! what a heavenly 
morning it was ! All nature seemed to be alive, 
and everybody was out — that is — everybody who 
was anybody. The birds warbled joyfully. The 
horses’ hoofs kept time to the jingling sounds of 
their silver ornaments. Gelta met many of her 
acquaintances in the elegantly appointed vehicles, 
but they did not recognize her, because her face 
was closel}" veiled. 

She had been walking for some time towards 
one of the pretty suburbs, which Mrs. Wilson had 
taken her to one day, months ago, when she had 
first arrived. Even then, she remembered that 
with the dreary chillness of the beginning of 
winter hovering over it, it was a lovely quiet spot; 
and Gelta in order to escape the crowds which 
thronged the principal streets, had decided to see 
this beautiful suburb once again ; clothed in 
nature’s first spring gown. She had now turned 
into one of the quieter streets, and as she felt 
somewhat overheated from her quick walking, slie 
took off her veil, to enjoy the first spring breezes 
more keenly. 

She had been walking for some time, silently 
thinking of those poor wretched beings, who 
through some oflScial’s extortion and greed, lust 
or hatred, were now immured alive in vile cells, 
cut off from the fresh air and sunshine sent by 


TEE CZAU AND TEE CANl’ATllICE 


1S9 


God ; and slie kept walkiu;^ and tliinklnp^, and 
thinking, and walking, and her lioart became once 
more sad, and as she glanced at the fashionable 
dwellings, she thought, of how much pent up 
miseiy, and crime even they contained, and a 
pra3^er issued forth from her heart to God, that 
He should look down upon the innocent and per- 
secuted beings, whom He had formed after His 
own divine image, and come to their rescue. 
Then she thought of tlie Starabielsky ball, which 
was to take place the day after the morrow, and 
at which it was rumored, the Czar would attend, 
and she began dreaming of her grand project ; to 
ask an audience of His Majesty. She had by this 
time almost reached the suburb, when she was 
interrupted in her reverie bj", “ Good morning. 
Mademoiselle Dechon.” 

A spirited glossj^ bay with golden harness 
flashing in the sunlight, dashed up alongside. 
The Emperor had detached himself from his 
suite. 

“ Good morning, j^our Majesty,” answered Gelta, 
pleasantly confused, for he had just been upper- 
most in her thoughts, and now as she looked up 
to see him there, in propria persona) she imagined 
it was all a dream. 

The oxj’gen in the air on this special morning 
seemed to brace up everybody and put them in 
the best of spirits. 

It is rather early for j'our Majesty to be out,” 
Gelta said after the first .greetings, hj way of 


190 


GELTA : OR, 


opening the conversation, for she felt that this was 
an occasion which fate had thrown in her way to 
ask for an audience. 

“Yes, the air does me good,” he replied, and 
then he gallantly resumed, “ I think I am very 
fortunate in encountering this beautiful Ameri- 
can blossom, for you are looking as sweet as a 
rose.” 

Gelta acknowledged the compliment, bowing 
low with drooping eyes and blushing cheeks ; and 
then he added with a smile. 

“Where was our pretty nightingale going to at 
such a rapid speed? To some fortunate lover I’ll 
vow,” and then he asked good naturedly : 

“Come, tell me; who is this lucky mortal?” 

“ I assure your Majesty that I was not thinking 
of any man, excepting your imperial self,” Gelta 
replied, full of embarrassment. 

He looked at her with mingled surprise, and 
good humor. 

“Yes,” she falteringly resumed, “I have been 
thinking of asking 3^our Majesty to grant me a 
private audience, before my departure next week.” 

“Indeed!” he interposed, then adding, “I see 
3’ou are out for a stroll !” 

“Yes, your Majesty,” Gelta answered; then 
after a moment’s pause had ensued, he said: 

“In a very short time,” indicating with his 
right hand some distant object, “ I will join you 
upon that little bridge y^onder.” 

Gelta murmured her thanks. Then the dashing 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


191 


cavalier, followed by Lis suite, flew along the de- 
serted road and was soon out of sight. 

Gelta stood transfixed, gazing after him ; a sea of 
thoughts whirled through her brain. “Ah !” she 
sighed, “if I could but get him to look kindly 
upon God’s chosen people, yes,” she murmured 
half audibl}^, “ if I could but get him to do what 
is right! If I could but instill him with the 
courage to emancipate himself from the barbarous 
traditions of his ancestors, I would, O, God 1 
most willingly oflfer my life as a sacrifice this very 
moment, that my innocent blood should save the 
children of Israel.” Then with a sigh of overbur- 
dened suspense she turned into the long lane, 
which led towards the bridge. 

The first few larks had already made their ap- 
pearance, the little sparrows and bristling chaf- 
finches were chirping and hopping along the bud- 
ding branches, the lane w^as filled with the deli- 
cious perfume of the huge pine trees ’which bor*- 
dered both sides of the walk. A new world 
suddenly began to stir, and to move, in the fresh 
verdure of the bushes, in the thickness of the 
grass, in the sofb spring air, and as Gelta walked 
along she heard sounds murmurings every-^ 
where, as if a new, mysterious life was waking 
up. All nature seemed to be alive, a large, 
yellow butterfly darted forward and struck against 
a branch and made it sway, a tiny, little sparrow 
peeped from its hiding-place to see to whom the 
budding branch was bowing, a .big blue-bottle 


192 


gelta: or, 


was dancing a waltz in the sunshine, two tiny 
sparrows on an upper branch were nestling .closer 
to each other, as they watched the poetical move- 
ments of a couple of loving chaffinches on a 
neighboring tree. 

Gelta, with a far-away look in her eyes, lightly 
walked to the accompaniment of Nature’s music, 
at last she paused. It was the spot which the 
Czar had indicated. The little bridge spanned a 
silver stream, fringed along the shore with weep- 
ing willows. Just beyond, at the back, loomed 
up majestically immense and lordly elms. “I 
must have a drink of that water ” Gelta said, as 
she leaned against the side of the bridge, mirrow- 
ing herself in the silver stream ; and suiting the 
action to the word, she ran down the embank- 
ment, dipping her beautiful small white hands 
into the crystal brook. She drank several times 
of Nature’s most refreshing beverage ; then 
she stretched herself uj)on the soft, fresh grass, 
and surveyed the magnificence of Dame Na- 
ture. 

“ I declare,” she mentally said, “ to people in- 
clined to be romantic, this spot, is a perfect sylvan 
retreat!” And the very next moment she re- 
proached herself for the trivial thought which 
had just flashed through her mind. “No,” she 
murmured almost aloud, “ it is selfish, and wrong, 
to think of happiness when so many of our 
innocent fellow-beings are buried alive in prison 
cells.” 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


193 


After lingering half an hour she rose and turned 
to see whether she could discover the tall ma- 
jestic figure of the Czar, amid the many elm trees; 
when directly in her pathway, not ten rods away 
from her, with his arms folded across his chest, 
stood the Czar, as if contemplating the American 
nymph, basking in the Russian sunshine on this 
most glorious morning. 

Gelta, when she suddenly saw the Czar, did not 
start with surprise, nor hesitate, but walked 
directly forward ; and as she approached with a 
low bow, and pleased but confused expression 
said : 

‘‘I am very glad to have the honor of meeting 
your Majesty for the second time this morning.” 

He extended his hand, which she cordially be- 
gan shaking in good old American style. Then, 
suddenly remembering that she was there to 
plead for her people, and that she might anger 
him by her American equality, she bent down and 
reverently imprinted a kiss on his extended hand. 

A perceptible smile passed over the hard 
sphynx-like features of the Czar, which for the 
moment almost rendered them eflfeminate in their 
sweetness of expression as he said : 

“I thought I should prefer a stroll in the coun- 
try this lovely spring morning to riding,” and 
then he gallantly added, ‘‘the pleasure is doubled 
by your enchanting presence here.” 

Gelta glanced up with maidenly modesty as 
she answered ; 


194 


gelta: or, 


“I sincerely hope that your Majesty will still 
think my presence here enchanting, after I shall 
have explained the object of my interview.” 

He gazed at her in silence with a deep penetra- 
ting look of enquiry, as if he would read her very 
soul, so that Gelta actually felt embarrassed; and 
there they stood facing each other for fully a mo- 
ment without uttering a word. 

“ O God ! ” she silently prayed, “ help me to ac- 
comj3lish the great task that I have set myself to 
do ; so that my misunderstood people, the whole 
race of Israel, shall be able once more to regain 
their right and high standing before the civilized 
world, which is their just due by heritage and 
religious birth. O God! help me to lift the veil 
of error from this misguided monarch’s eyes, as 
did our good Queen Esther, hundreds of years 
ago, when she so successfully pleaded for Israel’s 
rights before Ahasuerus.” 

As the Czar silently contemplated Gelta in her 
tight-fitting Parisian jacket, displaying to perfec- 
tion, her superbly moulded figure, which he knew 
was perfect from his sight of her in the different 
roles which she had played, he mused, “ This is a 
specimen of superb womanhood, of which any 
coui^try may well feel proud,” and with a sweet 
smile, and using a much softer tone than Gelta 
thought him capable of, he said : 

‘‘What is it. Mademoiselle, that you wish to 
ask me ? ” 

Gelta glanced up into the Czar’s eyes and 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE, 


195 


tlirougli lier embarrassment managed to stammer 
out, 

‘‘ O, Sire, I come to plead to you on behalf of 
my poor and unjustly persecuted, and misunder- 
stood people, that your Majesty through his 
human heart, would treat them with a more 
Christian leniencj^ as an example to the coarse 
brutal officers, who extort from them, their little 
money, and deprive them daily of the veiy 
necessaries of life, and who, when the}^ find the 
least opposition to their rapacious greed, not 
onlj^ demand more money, but torture them, and 
cast them into some vile prison, ‘ in the name of 
the Czar’.” 

During the delivery of this speech the Em- 
peror’s face underwent a sudden change. The 
sweet smile vanished, and in its place a harsh 
forbidding expression covered it like a mask. It 
was the cold stony look of the passionless Sphinx. 

As Gelta saw the Czar’s face change, her heart 
sank within her, and hope for mercy from him 
died away. 

“What religion,” he slowly asked eyeing her 
intently, “ do you belong to ? ” 

A fresh accession of strength and resolution 
came to her as she proudly answered, 

“ I belong to the longest lived and most human 
of all religions, one of the most ancient of houses, 
which numbers among its descendants, such 
noble men as Abraham, Moses, Christ, and others, 
whom God saw fit to make His Divine servants, 


196 


GELTA : OR, 


for I am a proud daughter of Israel,” and as lie 
stood eyeing lier without making comment, she 
continued : 

“O, greatness, O, Emperor of all the Russias, 
do not steel your heart against the House of 
Israel, whose Son you worship. Think how poor 
Israel has suffered and endured, scorn and wrong 
have been heaped upon us for generations past. 
Is it not time that civilization should recognize 
its errors ? and make amends by acting up to its 
own doctrine of Christian love ? O, think, great 
Czar,” she continued with much fervor, ‘‘if you 
would only have the courage to emancipate j^our- 
self in this enlightened period, from the narrow 
superstitions, of your worthy but bigoted ances- 
tors, — pardon the freedom of my words, — if you 
would lay aside their petty hates and govern your 
people with the kindness of your heart, how 
much greater as an Emperor, and as a man ; you 
would be before God, and the w^orld.” 

She had grown eloquent, and looked beautiful 
in her passionate pleadings, but he, who stood be- 
fore her, dressed in brief authorit}^ was a fanatic. 

She stood almost breathless hanging expec- 
tantly on what he would answer; her dark glow- 
ing eyes filled with the passionate yearning for 
pity from him toward Israel’s unjustly persecuted 
children. 

The Czar stared at her for some moments; then 
with a sneer he asked; “Is that all you have to 
say? ” 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


197 


“Oh, no,” she replied, “great Czar, I appeal to 
you in the name of the All merciful God, to show 
the kind and benevolent side of your nature to- 
wards unhappy Israel, so that the officers of your 
jkingdom may follow your Highness’ just and 
humane example.” 

“Woman!” he began with icy tones, “you are 
either mad, or a fool, to plead to me for those, 
whose very name I abominate!” 

“Oh Lord of Hosts!” Gelta silently murmured 
overcome with agitation. 

“'And as you have acknowledged yourself a 
Jewess — ” 

“Acknowledged!” she ejaculated aloud, “it is 
the only thing I feel proud of,” she answered 
with dignity. 

“ — And as 3’ou have acknowledged the fact,” he 
continued, not taking note of her interruption, 
“I would advise you to leave Kussia as soon as 
it is convenient.” 

“One word,” she said with superb dignity as he 
was about to go, “j^our Majesty anticipates my 
wishes, in two days I leave these dominions, but 
I had indulged in the hope, of not taking mj de- 
parture, until I had pleaded for Israel’s rights to 
the Czar of all the Kussias, and thereby, touched 
some tender cord in that heart of steel, but it is 
evident that mercy is not in your Majesty, and I 
only pity you for professing religion with your 
tongue, while in your heart you nurture hate, but 
in heaven’s good time the -wrong shall be righted. 


m 


(^elta: 6% 


and mayhap your eyes will then be opened, to 
your great errors. I will bid your Majesty good 
morning,” she said with queenly composure, and 
started towards the city. 

‘‘I believe,” mused the Czar a^ he watched her 
lithe form disappear among the trees, “I believe 
that she has more fire in her than any other wo- 
man that I have ever met. What a pity,” he 
mused, as he wended his way back to the palace, 
‘‘that she is a Jewess, and endowed with that in- 
dominable racial pride, which no amount of tor- 
turing can eradicate. How she did plead for the 
Jews! But there, I cannot allow so trivial a mat- 
ter to engross my thoughts,” and with this con- 
clusion he dismissed from his mind, the plead- 
ings for justice, which Israel’s noble daughter had 
attempted. 


CHAPTER XXVIII. 

It was the morning of the evening that Princess 
Zenaide Sfcepanora Starabielsky’s ball was to take 
place and St. Petersburg’s elite were greatly ex- 
cited with pleasurable anticipation. 

Mothers who had gone to enormous expense to 
bedeck in fineries their ugly daughters, that they 
should appear more pleasing in the exciting exer- 
cise of angling for some rich old man for a hus- 
band; married women and passees widows, who 
had made up their minds to captivate some new 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


199 


gallant; Don Juan’s who expectea to ensnare 
some of the budding fair ones ; and the old folks 
who delighted in discovering new scandals, and 
vivisecting them to their heart’s content; were 
each, and all, eager, for the eventful evening to 
arrive. 

Demetrius had not had an opportunity of 
speaking to Gelta for over a week ; ever since she 
indignantly requested him never to cross her path 
again ; and his many letters to her had been re- 
turned unopened. He was not allowed to visit 
her, and in fact, Gelta had in every way shunned 
him, which left no doubt as to her final determi- 
nation, never to speak to him again. Therefore 
with the Eussian hatred of being opposed, 
Demetrius liad mentally vowed two days before 
the ball, that Gelta should not escape him. 

It was an awful determination ; but Demetrius 
was resolute in the project he had suddenly 
formed. He knew that Gelta was to attend the 
Starabielsky ball, chaperoned by the Dowager 
Duchess Olga Dolgorouki ; so he took into his 
confidence the Dowager’s young nephew Volodia 
Taroslof, who was to escort them to and from 
their carriage. 

In Yalagen, one of the numerous islands in the 
vicinity of St. Petersburg, Demetrius owned a 
pretty little country house built like a Turkish 
Kiosk, its interior fantastically frescoed and 
decorated, with Goddesses and water nymphs. 

Here at times he was in the habit of stealing 


200 


gelta: or, 


away from tlie constant buzz of Court life, to 
enjoy a quiet week in liis little hermitage, attended 
only by his valet, and a man cook. 

It was in this little nest that Demetrius’ project* 
was to be consummated. He had arranged with 
young Yaroslof that, at the end of the evening 
when the guests were departing, Voladia Yaroslof 
should escort Gelta back alone to his aunt’s car- 
riage, and then place her in another, which would 
be in readiness, while he left her to fetch his 
aunt. Gelta, having entered the carriage, was 
immediately to be dazed by the inhalation of 
some powerful anesthetic ; and in this comatose 
state transported to the Turkish Temple, on the 
island of Yalagen ; where a priest was in readi- 
ness ; and Gelta was the next morning to wake 
up as the wife of the Grand Duke Demetrius. 

With this little plot in perspective, Demetrius 
did not force his person into Gelta’s presence, 
but, on the contrary had apparently shown an 
unwonted submission, to her expressed wish, and 
Gelta felt relieved, and grateful to him, for his 
considerate conduct in remaining away. 

A few days before Gelta had so unexpectedly 
met the Czar, an interview that had terminated in 
such disappointment to Gelta — for she had 
nourished the hope that the Emperor was an 
intelligent, and liberal minded man, and now she 
had found him only a bigoted fanatic. It was a 
few days prior to this disheartening conviction, 
that Mrs. Wilson in one of her visits, was allowed 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTaTRICE. 


201 


with feminine curiosity to see the beautiful 
toilette that Gelta intenclecl to wear at the 
Starabielsky ball. 

The English lady went into ecstascy over the 
exquisite French creation ; and accordingly on 
her return home, wrote to her confidant Count 
Boroffsky in the most enthusiastic manner, con- 
cerning the long expected ball, and also described 
the exquisite beauty of the dress, which Gelta 
was to wear. 

After Gelta reached her hotel the morning she 
had attempted to plead with the Czar for her per- 
secuted people, she threw herself on the couch 
and indulged in a hearty ciy, as if to mourn an- 
other lost hope. Then after awhile she rose, 
calm and determined to leave Eussia as quickly 
as she conveniently could. She was about to 
write a note to the Princess Starabielsky, inform- 
ing her that she would not attend the ball, but 
pondered, not knowing what excuse she could 
offer, to decline the Duchess Dolgorouki’s chape- 
ronage, and after some mental debate she finally 
concluded, not to refuse by writing, but to feign 
a sudden illness, at the very last moment, as a 
plausible excuse for not attending. 

One bright morning on the 3rd of April, in his 
pretty pavillion situated near the Champs Elysee, 
Count Boroffsky, with an open letter in his hand 
was frantically pacing up and down his study. It 
was Mrs. Wilsons last letter from which for the 
first time he heard of Gelta’s intention of going 


202 


gelta: on, 


to the StarabiMsky ball. Of course lie had been 
so constantly occupied of late with the great 
blow that was so soon to annihilate the Imperial 
family; that certain little outside details escaped 
his attention, but now, with that letter, giving 
him a full account of the dress that Gelta w^as to 
wear, she! the only woman who had entered his 
bachelor heart; now, when he realized the danger 
she was about to encounter, he felt as if he could 
dash his head against the wall in order to rescue 
her from her peril. 

“Something must be done,” he murmured agi- 
tatedly after the first few moments of confusion 
had elapsed; and then he stopped short in the 
middle of the room, as he mentally decided to 
save her, even at the cost of their secret; “for 
after all,’’ he mused, “she is a Jewess; lier s^’m- 
pathies are with the oppressed — and not with 
the accursed oppressor. Therefore she will not 
betray us;” and then he mentally continued, a 
pleased smile suffusing his countenance, “it will 
only be another proof, to her, of my eternal love 
and devotion, and who knows, perhaps on her 
return she will reward my constanc}".” 

Boroffsky immediately went out and dispatched 
several cypher telegrams to Father Paul us, a well 
known and highly respected priest in St. Peters- 
burg and one of Boroffsky’s chief consj)irators. 

A.bout two o’clock in the afternoon, on the day 
of the great ball, a priest. Father Paulus, asked 
to see Mademoiselle Dechon. Gelta gave orders 


I'HE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


203 


to admit the priest, and Avlien he was announced 
she came into the drawing room to receive him. 

“ To what, good Father, do I owe the honor of 
your visit?” she asked with a gracious smile, 
while she mentally concluded that he had come 
to ask for a sum of money towards some charitable 
purpose. 

Father Paiilus glanced about the room in a 
most mysterious manner, as if to make sure that 
they were quite alone, and wanting to feel doubly 
positive upon that matter he said, that he had a 
most important message to deliver to herself in 
private. 

Gelta eyed her visitor for a moment in silence, 
for it suddenly occurred to her that this good 
man had come to intercede with her on Demetrius* 
behalf. After a moment of mutual observation, 
Gelta invited the priest to be seated, meantime 
assuring him that they were alone, and that he 
ran no risk of being overheard. Father Paulus, 
after having moved his chair closer to hers, bent 
his head towards her ear, and in a low whisper 
said, 

‘‘I want your solemn word of honor that you 
will not mention to a living being, that, which 
I am about to tell you.” 

Gelta simply replied, ‘‘Good Father, you may 
trust me.” 

The priest bowed as if perfectly satisfied with 
her answer, and then without more ado and in a 
low voice he abruptly asked. 


204 


oelta: on, 


Are you going to attend the Starabielnky ball 
to-night ? ” 

This sudden and unexpected question greatly 
surprised Gcdta, for it almost as suddenly dawned 
upon her that this priest had been sent by the 
Czar himself, to request her not to attend tljo 
ball, she thought it prudent not to commit 
herself, until she had thoroughly sifted the object 
of this extraordinary question; so she simply 
replied, inquiringl} 

‘‘Why?" 

“Why," he re))eated, “because I have been 
sent by a mutual friend to warn you, as you value 
your life, not to go to the ball to-niglit." 

“And who is this extraordinary friend, who 
takes such a deep interest in my life?" she 
asked. 

“I am not at liberty to divulge his name," 
Father Paiilus replied. 

“Very well," Gelta answered, with quick 
decision, rising at the same time to show lier 
visitor that the conversation nc(Ml not C()ntinm*, 
“Very well," she repeated witli severe dignit}', 
“I am not to be intimidated by such a mysterious 
message, and unless you can give me tlie sender’s 
name and reasons, I will most certainly be at the 
Starabielsky ball to-night." 

Father Paulus, after a moment’s silent deliber- 
ation, looked at his wat(;h, and then remarked, 

“It is now 3 o’clock; it will be a good four 
hours before I can consult, and rticeive perrriis- 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


205 


sioii, to give you tlie name of tlie friend, who 
values your life so much.” 

“ Yery well,” Gelta replied, “ the ball begins at 
10 o’clock, if before 8 o’clock this evening you do 
not bring me the required information, I will 
most certainly attend the ball to-night.” 

“About eight o’clock this evening I will be 
here,” Father Paulus replied, and at once took 
his leave. 

Gelta stood motionless for some time in the 
middle of the room after the priest had gone, as 
if she had been petrified to the spot. Her brain 
was in a whirl of excitement. Of course for the 
last three days ever since her interview with the 
Czar, she had determined not to go to the ball, 
and now, she was more determined than ever not 
to go. 

“But,” she mused, “what if I did go to the ball, 
how comes it that my life should be endangered? 
Thank God, I am an American, and the Eussian 
Emperor would not dare, to imprison me, an Am- 
erican subject without cause.” And then an in- 
ward voice answered her, that Eussia’s fanatic 
ruler, would dare anything. 

If was five o’clock when Count Boroffsky re- 
ceived Father Paulus’ cypher telegram, which ran 
thus : Determined to attend unless she knoivs name 
and reasons y 

After a half hour’s mental torture. Count Bor- 
offsky wired back, “ tell her all, she must not gol^ 

It was a few minutes past nine o’clock when 


206 


GELTA : OR, 


Father Paulus entered Gelta’s drawing room to 
entrust her with their secret plan. 

Meanwhile, in the Starabielsky Palace another 
scene was being enacted. As pre-arranged with 
her lover Vladimir Koretyki the Princess de So- 
coloff dressed in her sister-in-law’s house, so as 
to help the Princess Starabielsky to superintend 
the final little details. 

Andrei Petrovitch a faithful follower of the 
Nihilists, whom the Princess de Socoloff had per- 
suaded her husband several months before to en- 
gage as assistant butler, so that she might be in 
nearer contact with the Nihilist’s conspirator, 
was with the other servants of the Socoloff house- 
hold to assist in waiting on the Starabielsky 
guests. 

It was nine o’clock when Andrei Petrovitch 
entered his mistress’ dressing-room, and after 
waiting while his mistress dismissed her maid, 
he assured the Princess de Socoloff that he had 
just placed the little green tin box containing the 
fatal clock in the pot containing the creeping 
])laut, which clustered around the bottom of the 
Corinthian column, and which formed the back- 
ground of the dais that had been improvised as 
the Poyal Throne. 

‘‘You are positive,” the Princess asked with 
suppressed nervousness, “ that it is set for half- 
past twelve? for you know the Czar is due at 
half-past eleven o’clock; but as a Court secret it 
is known that he always arrives late; so that he 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


207 


most probably will appear here at about twelve 
o’clock, wliicli would be am2:)le time ; but you are 
quite sure?” tlie Princess repeated, “that it is set 
for half-past twelve ? ’ 

“ Quite sure, your Highness,” answered Petro- 
vitch. 

“And you hid the box well beneath the creep- 
ing plant?” asked the Princess with suppressed 
agitation. 

“You need have no fear on that account, for 
you well know while arranging the different 
plants this afternoon I transposed most of the 
earth into another box; besides, it is placed so 
perfectly in full view of everybody, that no one 
will ever think, of associating the least suspicion 
with its contents.” 

“ Your sister is to call for me here at a quarter 
past eleven ? ” 

“ Yes, your Highness,” answered Andrei with a 
suppressed grin. 

“Very well, I will myself presently descend 
into the ball room, so as to assure myself that 
everything is in order, for you know,” she said al- 
most hoarselj^ ^'this time there must be no failure, 
you understand ? ” 

He nodded assent and then with a gesture she 
dismisssed him. 

It had been arranged that Josha, Andrei’s sister 
should call for the Princess de Socoloff with the 
news that the Princess’ only child, a little girl 
of about four years old, was suddenly seized with 


208 


GELTA : OR, 


convulsions, and was on the verge of death. This 
subterfuge was to enable the Princess to leave 
the Starabielskj Palace, dressed in her elegant 
ball toilette, just as she was about to mingle with 
the guests, without exciting the least suspicion. 

Of course it was only the life of the Czar and 
his family that was aimed at, and as the blow 
Avas to be struck in her brother’s house, Avithout 
he, or his family, haviug the least suspicion, of 
the deeply, and daring conspirators’ 2:>lans, the 
Princess stipulated that as few lives as possible 
should be sacrificed, and that only one clock 
need be secreted in the Palace, and that should 
be placed as nearly as possible to the improvised 
throne. 

It Avas a feAv minutes before ten o’clock Avhen 
the Princess Starabielsky entered the ball room 
Avith her sister-in-laAv, in order to take a final 
look, at its magnificent ensemble before the ar- 
rival of the first guests. 

Both the ladies as they entered the spacious 
room, gave an exclamation of surprised delight, 
Avhen they saAV the many brilliantly lit chande- 
liers reflected in the Avaxed and highly polished 
floor; the flood of light blended beautifully with 
the rich tones of the gorgeous tapestries, and 
velvet hangings, Avhich ornamented the walls, and 
between Avhich Avere a number of mirrors of pro- 
digious size ; masterpieces of Prussian art, statues 
from Borne, and Florence, embellished by huge 
palms, Avere placed in the corners of the room. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


209 


and surrounded by a parterre of shrubs and green 
plants, planted in pots and boxes. 

The dais on which stood the improvised throne, 
was covered with a rich Ambusson carpet; the 
Corinthian column, a few feet distant, was to the 
right of the Imperial Chair. 

The Princess Starabielsky with her sister-in- 
law standing by her side, had just finished re- 
arranging some of the drapery, which formed the 
back ground of the dais, when her e3^e was at- 
tracted to the creeping plant at the base of the 
column, some of whose stems were drooping and 
looked as if they needed support. The Princess 
Starabielsky moved towards the plant, and bent 
down to remedy the defect, the Princess de Soco- 
loff but a few paces away turned ghastly pale, as 
she watched her sister-in-law bend over the fatal 
box. Like lightning it flashed through her mind 
that she must divert the Princess Starabielsky’s 
attention, or she would discover all, and their 
plans would after all be defeated; so mastering 
her fearful agitation she exclaimed : 

‘‘Look ! Vera! that face peeping in at the other 
end!” 

“ What face ? ” asked her sister-in-law, looking 
up. 

“ I don’t know whose face it is,” answered the 
Princess de Socoloff, “ only it had such a myster- 
ious way of popping in its head several times, and 
then disappearing.” 

And the Princess Starabielsky, noticing the 


210 


GELTA : OK, 


suppressed nervousness of tlie speaker’s face, rose 
and went towards the door to see who the intruder 
was, having asked her sister-in-law meanwhile to 
finish arranging the plant ; which request was at 
once complied with. In doing so, the Princess 
de Socoloff immediately discovered that the clock 
was well hidden beneath the earth in the pot, and 
she felt relieved on that point. 

The Princess Starabielsky returned, saying that 
there was no one, who had been seen, thrusting 
his head in, and laughingly rallied her sister-in- 
law about her ghost stories, and after having 
admiringly approved of the pretty effect of the 
creeping plant wound about the column, both 
ladies left the ball room, only to return shortly 
afterwards to welcome the guests. 


CHAPTEE XXIX. 

It was a few minutes past nine o’clock when 
Father Paulus entered Gelta’s drawing room. 

For two long hours she had nervously paced up 
and down her room, expecting him at every 
moment, and now he had at last come. After 
apologizing for his tardy arrival caused by his 
not receiving the Count’s telegram sooner. Father 
Paulus after having first exacted once more her 
promise that she would never mention to any 
Jiving being, what he was about to tell her, he re- 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


211 


vealed in its minutest details, the plot by which 
the Czar and his family were expected to enter so 
soon into eternit3^ 

Gelta on hearing this fearful confession con- 
cerning the imminent assassination, staggered, and 
almost fell fainting to the ground, but Father 
Paulus caught her in his arms and seeing how she 
had almost shrank horrified from him, with an 
imprecation whispered the word: 

“ Traitress ! ” 

Oh no. Father, not that,” she answered 
agitatedly as the hateful epithet was thrust at her, 
and making a superhuman etfort to compose her 
unstrung and exciting nerves, she continued, 

“No good Father, not a traitress, for as a 
Jewess, and a dear friend of Count Boroffsky, I 
am naturally, overwhelmed and doublj^ rejoice at 
this good news, for I can now fully realize,” she 
continued emphasizing each word, “ how deeply 
the Count is devoted to me. Go now, I need some 
rest, leave me good Father,” she pleaded as she 
caught sight of the clock on the etagere whose 
hands indicated half past ten, for she was in an 
agony of mind, lest the Duchess should arrive at 
any moment, and finding her agitated and not 
dressed for the ball, would suspect that something 
unusual had occurred; so after making her repeat 
the promise she had given him that it was to be 
a dead secret, Father Paulus took his departure. 

He had been leisurely walking for some ten 
minutes towards the Isaac church, when he re- 


212 


GELTA : OR, 


cognized a gorgeous equipage dash by with the 
elegant liveries of the Duchess Dolgorouki wend- 
ing their way towards the Hotel de I’Europe. 

“ They are going to fetch Mademoiselle Dechon,” 
he murmured, with gnashing teeth, “and she 
])romised me that she would not go. I wull see,” 
he mentally said, at the same time retracing his 
footsteps, “whether she Avill keep her word.” 

Gelta, as soon as FatLer Paulus left her, stood 
for a moment in the centre of the room as if 
transfixed, with her head resting between her up- 
lifted hands. 

“ Something must be done to save them,” she 
murmured, half dazed, and squeezing her head 
hard with both her hands, as if to remove the 
sudden numbness which the awful revelation had 
caused her brain. “ They must be warned, but 
how ?” she asked herself in despair. “ I have 
promised not to mention this to a living being, 
and I must not break my promise. Neither can I 
wittingly allow the Czar to be assassinated, even 
though he is Israel’s enem}^, for Judaism and 
humanity shrink from shedding human blood. 
No,*’ she ejaculated aloud, “ this vile plot must 
not succeed ! but how, how,” she asked herself, 
despairingly, “ can the catastrophe be avoided ? 
Ah, I have it,” she exclaimed excitedly, as the 
numbness of her brain seemed to thaw, “ I have 
it, I can keep my promise and still save them, I 
will go myself to the awful column, and remove 
the fatal machine before its time to explode. Let 


The czau and the cantatrice. 


213 


me see,” slie mentally continued, “ Fatlior Paulus 
said tlie time-fuse Avas set for exactly half past 
twelve o’clock, as the Emperor is expected at 
twelve. What time is it now ?” She looked at 
the clock. “Five minutes to eleven! Why, the 
Duchess may be here at any moment and I not 
dressed! What excuse can I give, for keeping 
her ladyship waiting? Ah, I have it,” she ex- 
claimed aloud. An imperceptible smile played 
over her agitated countenance, as she moved the 
clock’s hands back nearly one hour. 

Hardly had she done so, wdien the door opened, 
and the Dowager Duchess Dolgorouki swept in 
robed in a magnificent sable cloak, and was 
about to ojBfer some excuse for being so late, when 
she stepped back with her hands thrown up in 
amazed astonishment, at seeing Gelta not j^et 
dressed for the ball. 

Gelta readily interpreted the horrified look 
on her chaperone’s face, and laughingly replied, 
“ now Duchess don’t look so dismayed, for I have 
just been consulting the clock, and it’s only a 
quarter past ten.” 

“ My dear child,” interposed the Duchess, “I 
assure you your clock is A^ery slow.” 

“ Very well, Ave will not lose time in discussing 
the subject,” Gelta replied Avith a smile, “ for I 
will endeavor to make a three minute’s stage 
change,” and she disappeared into her boudoir, 
rang for her maid, and immediately began her 
toilette. 


214 


GELTA : OR, 


Fifteen minutes later slie issued fortli in a 
simple but elegant ivory satin gown, covered with 
embroidered maiden hair in silver thread, with 
one large diamond star on the top of her head, 
which shone like the star of Bethlehem amid 
her raven locks. 

They had descended the few steps leading from 
the hotel, and Gelta was just about to follow the 
Duchess into her carriage, when she felt a slight 
touch on her elbow, and looking round she saw 
Father Paulus at her side, on whose face through 
the ra 3 ’s of the electric light in front of the 
hotel, she saw an awful reproach depicted. 

Gelta like a flash took in the situation, and 
making an apology to the Duchess for her 
momentary absence, addressed the priest saying : 

“Come good Father, I will tell my maid to send 
those candles at once ; ” and with that they both 
entered into the hall of the hotel where Gelta in 
a low whisper said : 

“ I must go to avoid suspicion, but I will dis- 
appear immediately on my arrival. Best eas}%” 
and with that she at once rejoined the Duchess 
and they were soon dashing along to the Stara- 
bielsky Palace. 

The ball room was crowded with the many 
guests, all waiting anxiously for the first dance to 
begin which would not be until after the arrival of 
the Czar who was due at half past 11 o’clock. 

The hour had alreadj^ passed, but almost every 
one there present, knew that the Czar alwaya 


Me czxn AND THE CANTATRICE. 


215 


alrives late ; so as to give ample time to liis many 
detectives to report at head-quarters, whether any 
plots upon his life have been discovered, and 
whether he may attend with safety ; so some of 
the people busied themselves with whispering 
sweet nothings, while others took delight in 
viewing the beautiful toilettes of their friends 
and acquaintances. 

All the riches and magnificence of the court 
and nobility were displayed for the occasion, the 
variety of National costumes Georgian, Circas- 
sian, and others blended with the many Parisian 
creations, were simply superb. The foreign 
ministers and visitors, all formed a coup-cl 'oeil of 
extreme splendor. 

The Princess Starabielsky wore a train of green 
velvet embroidered in gold, and much beriched 
wdth diamonds, and other precious stones, over a 
white satin robe ; upon her left shoulder was a 
bow of blue satin ribbon, on which were the 
Empress’s initials in brilliants, a diadem of 
brilliants crowned her fair coiffure. 

The Princess de Socoloff wore a silver blue 
satin toilette, which harmonized with her mag- 
nificent auburn hair, and she was one blaze of 
diamonds. There were a great number of beauti- 
ful dresses besides, but there were very few hand- 
some or pretty women in the whole assembly; 
indeed generally speaking, beauty is rare among 
the Eussian women, it is very uncommon in every 
rank, yet perhaps no other people in the world, 


216 


GELTA : on, 


value external appearance so mucli, or who are 
so vain of their person, as the E-ussians. 

The hostess and her sister-in-law, the Princess 
de Socoloff, were graciously doing the honors of 
the evening, when the latter, after having a naes- 
sage delivered to her, quickly called the Princess 
Starabielsky aside, and imparted to her the sud- 
den and dreadful news which she had just re- 
ceived of how her child had been seized with 
sudden convulsions and was dying. She also en- 
joined her sister-in-law not to mention her disap- 
pearance to her husband, Prince de Socoloff, who 
was at that moment in the ball room, so as not 
to alarm him, and she added if matters were not 
quite so serious as her agitated maid had repre- 
sented, she would at once return. 

The Princess Starabielsky’s mind was too much 
engrossed wdtli her success as a hostess, to be 
visibly affected by so slight an occurrence, as a 
little niece’s illness. She bade her sister-in-law 
not to take things too much to heart, and to re- 
turn as quickly as possible. 

Princess de Socoloff, with a cloak thrown over 
her ball-dress, soon left the Palace, mentally con- 
gratulating herself upon her safe escape, and feel- 
ing herself almost a martyr, to her cause, in 
leaving the husband whom she had never really 
loved, to be sacrificed, in order that his absence 
should not arouse suspicion. 

The gardens of the Palace were brilliantly 
illuminated. Walls of light were on each side of 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


217 


the walks, auct avenues, pyramids and obelisks 
from fifty to seventy feet in height were to be 
seen mysteriously overshadowing the many 
colored lamps which were placed among 
the flowers, and which had an extremely 
pleasing effect, with here, and there, a Greek 
statue, or Corinthian column, ornamenting 
some sequestered spot ; resplendent stars, seem- 
ingly suspended in mid-air, were everywhere to 
be seen, but the most beautiful sight of all was 
two large fountains about sixty feet in height, 
whose waters fell in artificial cascades, from this 
height, forming a very prcttj" stream, while in the 
hollow of the base-work, all the way down, rows 
of lamps were placed, over which the fluid rushed 
from the cascade like a shower of diamonds, 
whilst the flashing lights beneath had an inde- 
scribably brilliant effect. At the magnificent en- 
trance to the Palace, the fine, untarnished, bronze 
figures, glittered like statues of gold, in the rays 
of the hundreds of lighted chandeliers. A gor- 
geous red velvet carpet covered the richly inlaid 
floor, and white marble staircase, with here, and 
there, a statue from Pome, or Ploronce, enliveiied 
by some beautiful tropical plant. In the midst 
of all this brilliancy, mingled with the Stara- 
bielsky liveries, were some of the Czar’s chamber- 
lains, and household troeps on guard, for the last 
notes of the National Anthem denoted that several 
minutes had elapsed since the Czar’s arrival. 

Every one of tlio invited guests had already ar- 


218 


gelta: oi:, 


rived, everyone, excepting, tlie Dowager Dacliesg 
Dologorouki and Mademoiselle Declion, whose 
absence was not noticed by the busy hostess amid 
that vast crowd. 

Volodia Yarsolof, the Duchess’s young nephew, 
and his friend, Demetrius, were much concerned, 
and were speculating as to what could have en- 
tailed the delay. And the nervous and eager 
glances which they both cast every now and then, 
at the entrance from the top of the grand stairway 
on which they stood, denoted the agitation of 
their minds, for Demetrius had mentalh^ vowed 
that Gelta should be Lis wife within the ensuing 
twenty-four hours. Come what might, even if life 
itself should have to be forfeited soon afterward, 
for what was the use of living without her ? Bet- 
ter one short hour of extreme bliss, than a long 
period of weary existence, and the twitchings of 
his nervous lips beneath his small, light-brown 
moustache plainly evinced the suppressed inward 
storm. 

Volodia also betrayed signs of mental agitation, 
as the time was drawing near wherein he would 
have to play his part in the plot evolved by his 
friend. He felt a momentary remorse for the 
trusting girl, Avhq was so soon to fall into love’s 
pilfal], and he almost viewed his Aunt’s non-arri- 
val W’ith a feeling of relief. 

The head of the third Section who stood at some 
distance eyeing the two 3’oung men’s anxious look 
of expectancy, would have become suspicious, 


I'HE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


210 


liad tliey been other, than His Highness the 
Grand Duke Demetrius, and liis friend Count 
Yarsolof. 

“But,” mused the old beauroctat, “I wonder 
what thoS3 two young scapegoats are up to now? 
What can be their game? Some timid dear. I’ll 
wager,” and with this cynical conclusion, the head 
of the third Section murmured with a sigh of re- 
gret, “ Ah, lucky dogs they, who have only the 
game of hearts to pursue.” 

“You will give me the sign of their arrival,” 
said Demetrius in a very low voice to his friend, as 
he heard the distant roll of a carriage approach- 
ing, “ for you know,” he continued, “ completely 
to throw her off her guard, she must not see me 
here to-night.” 

Volodia assented to this final arrangement and 
Demetrius strolled over to the opposite side of the 
grand staircase to smoke a cigar beneath the 
shadow of a huge palm tree. 

Meanwhile the Duchess’s equipage was rolling 
along the avenue towards the Starabielsky Palace 
at a great speed. The clock of the Isaac church, 
had just struck twelve, and as she heard the time, 
Gelta leaned back in the carriage overcome by a 
faint dizziness as the thought overwhelmed her 
that she might arrive too late. 

The Duchess who had been prattling on at a 
great rate, suddenly paused to enquire the cause 
of her companion’s silence. “ I have been listen- 
ing to your interesting narative,” Gelta managed 


220 


gelta: OB, 


to stammer out, and making supreme effort to 
exert her will powor to calm her inward agitation, 
she continued, “I am so very emotional, and the 
excitement of attending this grand ball to-night^ 
has given me a slight headache, which will no 
doubt soon pass away if I can manage ]iot to 
speak so mucli. So dear Dacliess pray don’t mind 
my mood,” and then she gazed silently cut of the 
carriage window to hide i he tumult of h. or over 
burdened soul. After some moments silence slje 
suddenly turned to her cliaperone and expressed 
her intense delight at the brilliant illuminations 
for they had by this time cnt''red the gardens of 
the Palace. 

‘‘Look!” cried the old Duchess in dismay to 
Gelta, as they alighted at the Superb Entrance, 
and indicating the Emperor’s retinue, whispered, 
“ we are late the Czar has arrived.” Gelta felt an 
iej" numbness take hold of her, at the information; 
however making a heroic effort to calm herself ; 
and bowing in acknowledgement to Volodia’s 
greetings, Gelta swept up the marble staircase with 
the Duchess and Volodia at her side, and entered 
the magnificent ball room. 

The Grand Duke Demetrius who had caught a 
glimpse from his hiding place, of the woman 
whom it is no exaggeration to say he idolized, 
went out into the garden to conceal, from the 
curious on-lookers, the inward storm which the 
sight of her had set raging. 

As the Duchess and her companion entered the 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


221 


ball room, the hostess came forward with a few 
words of welcome, and then whispered, indicating 
to the other end of the room, “ His Majesty has 
just arrivech” 

It was a scene of sjDlendor and gorgeous mag- 
nificence. 

As Gelta’s gaze wandered towards the Imperial 
family, her eyes alighted upon Mrs. Wilson, who 
was gracefully going through the evolution of a 
quadrille in the far off corner of the room, it at 
once flashed through Gelta’s mind that this 
English woman, Avhom for months past she had 
suspected as being one of Boroffsky’s conspirators, 
was wholly innocent. 

In the general excitement of the dazzling 
magnificent scene, there, standing on the Dais, 
surrounded by his courtiers was the Czar gra- 
ciously exchanging greeting with the Foreign 
Diplomats ; his sweet consort on his arm. The 
Empress whose eyes had an anxious, Avandering 
look, appeared anything but happy. 

Gelta, while following her chaperon had arrived 
within ten paces of the Improvised Throne, Avhen 
her eyes caught sight of the Corinthian column 
Avith the creeping plant, under Avhich Avas hid the 
fatal clock. For a moment she swayed like a 
reed, before an approaching storm, under the 
aAvful cyclone Avhich hovered over her whirling 
brain ; Avhilst her other remarkable self, composed 
of her undaunted will poAver and determination, 
enjoined her not to lose her courage, until sha 


222 


gelta: or, 


liad accomplislied tLe task of saving Israel’s 
enemy. Just tlien she overheard the remark from 
a passing couple that supper was not to be served 
before one o’clock and that it was not quite half 
past twelve, and that from ten until one o’clock, 
was a long wait, for one with a good appetite. 

Gelta’s lips quivered with convulsions, as she 
mentally repeated the time “Not quite half past 
twelve, and the fatal fuse was set for that time.” 

Her mind was filled with despair and horror; 
her brain was hot like glowing coals ; her heart 
was in her throat, she felt that she must at once 
snatch the fatal box while it was yet time, from 
out its hiding place. Happily her excited con- 
dition was not noticed in the crush; the Duchess 
had refrained from gathering her many friends 
there, about her, because of her companion’s sick 
headache, and with her back turned to lier young 
protege was coquetting with some musty old 
beaux. 

Gelta moved towards the plant, her spinal 
column felt like a block of ice ; a numbness served 
almost to paralyze her movements as she stooped 
and put her hand into the shrubs. 

The Emperor for the first time that evening, 
caught sight of Gelta while bending over the 
plant, and thought the action denoted an eccentric 
caprice of the American girl to possess herself of 
one of the creeping sprays. However the dread- 
ful expression which overspread her face soon 
disillusioned him ; and as he was about to speak. 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


223 


she gave a suppressed scream of horror, as she 
pulled the clock out and exclaimed : 

“ Djaiamite ! ! ! ” 

Everybody for the moment unconsciously 
shrank back speechless with fright, as they saw 
the emblem of death in her up-raised hand, and 
while during that moment she was quickly making 
her way to the door, she shouted, 

“Stand aside! Dynamite!!!” 

The scene of scampering and hubbub that en- 
sued baffles all description. After the first mo- 
ment of horror-stricken surprise had elapsed, 
everybody in that vast crowd dropped their dig- 
nity of gait, and ran toward the opposite exit. 
Men roughly elbowed their way right and left to 
reach the door first, old women and young girls 
were seized with hysteria and were trampled and 
bruised by the maddening throng. 

The Empress fell fainting into the Czar’s arms 
and as he hurriedly glanced about for some as- 
sistance, he saw that all his courtiers and guards 
had deserted him, for they had all rushed toward 
the door with the natural instinct of. self-]prcserva^ 
tion first. 

After Gelta had quickly disappeared from the 
room, a perfect panic set in, the frenzied guests 
made one mad dash, to reach the door, for the 
conviction had suddenly come over all, that the 
entire Palace was charged with Dynamite, and 
therefore everyone was frantically endeavoring to 
escape from the building^ without the le.a^t 


224 


gelta: or, 


cliance of really doing so, since they liad block- 
aded rather than cleared the passage way. 

A loud explosion was suddenly heard which 
shook the structure, a howl of despair arose from 
the assembled crowd, as they with horror awaited 
the supreme moment of being blown into eter- 
nity. 

At the entrance the guards had somewhat re- 
laxed their vigilance and were just about to enjoy 
themselves in their own peculiar way, when Gelta 
appeared at the head of the grand staircase witli 
the fatal box uplifted above her head, shouting: 

“Dynamite, run for your lives ! ” 

They needed no second invitation, for at the 
same time hearing the sudden shrieks which is- 
sued from the ball room, the guards and servants 
suddenly fled from the palace and its grounds. 

Gelta had almost reached the garden where 
she intended to throw the fatal box away, when 
she almost instantly felt herself lifted into sj^ace 
and hurled with great force through the air. 

Demetrius who had been smoking a cigar at 
the further end of the garden, and endeavoring to 
compose and calm his excited thoughts in regard 
to Gelta who Avas so soon to become the mistress 
of his Temple, was aroused from his meditations, 
and attracted by the confused sounds issuing 
from the ball room. He was just about to wend 
his way back to the Palace, to ascertain its cause; 
when he heard a loud explosion, and immediately 
afterwards, he saw what at first appeared to him, 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


225 


like a cloud, and then he perceived a human fig- 
ure robed in white hurled through the air ! ! ! 

He stood for a moment paralyzed with fear and 
rooted to the spot, and then excited remarks 
reached him from the escaping guests, such as : 
‘‘ he is saved ! She saved the Czar’s life ! Gelta 
Dechon is a great heroine ! ! ! ” 

Like a flash of lightning Demetrius realized 
what the explosion meant, and whose form it was, 
which he had seen whirled through the air. A 
mad impulse seized upon him and quickened his 
energies, he hurriedly sped in the direction where 
the form had disappeared. 

After some ten minutes of hasty exploration of 
the grounds, Demetrius saw an inanimate white 
form, lying a few paces away at the feet of a 
marble Nymph. 


CHAPTEE XXX. 

Twelve hours later, when Gelta first regained 
consciousness after the ball, she found herself in 
her own bed, with Demetrius sitting on a low 
chair at the foot of her couch, with his head 
wearily resting between his hands. 

Two strange men sat in the further end of the 
room, who had evidently just finished a consulta- 
tion. Her clear brain at once recognized them as 
a couple of physicians by their last remark which 
she had overheard. 


226 


gelta: or, 


Amputation is quite useless in tliis case, for 
she cannot possibly survive!’' 

Gelta quickly shut her eyes again as the over- 
whelming news suddenly swept over her ; she lay 
some minutes motionless, her long eyelashes 
drooping over her weary eyes, an expression of 
exhaustion visible on her pale face ; in spite of 
this, it breathed a full and perfect peace, such as 
is only enjoyed by those, who have ceased to 
expect, or to fear anything in this life. After a 
lapse of some minutes she opened her eyes once 
more, and asked Demetrius whether the Czar was 
saved. 

“ Yes,” answered Demetrius, in a low, husky 
voice, “Yes, saved! and through you!” 

“ Thank God for that ! ” she murmured with 
fervor, a sweet smile lighting up her face as their 
eyes met; for now she felt neither dread nor 
pain. 

The physicians came forward. The elder of 
the two, a venerable looking man of about sixty, 
with heavy gold rimmed spectacles shading his 
eyes, addressed her in the kindest of voices. 

“What do you feel, my child?” he asked with 
deep sympathy, as he glanced at the outlines of 
the limp and helpless form beneath the sheets, 
for both her limbs had been hopelessly shattered. 

“ Nothing Doctor,” she murmured slowly, only 
a great numbness, a great weariness, a sort of ex- 
haustion stealing over me, while a great peace 
and quiet fills my heart/’ and then with a sad 


THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


227 


sweet smile, slie resumed, ‘‘ Doctor, since your 
deep learning and undisputed skill is useless in 
my case, would you mind leaving me alone with 
my friend for a while,” indicating Demetrius, 
who sat bowed with grief. The two physicians 
acquiesced and passed into the next room, then 
Gelta turned to Demetrius and said: 

“Send for Kabbi "iKantrowitz, and also for a 
lawyer at once, and tell the latter to bring all 
that is wanted to draw up a will.” 

Demetrius mechanically obeyed, and an hour 
later the lawyer appeared. The business was 
quickly despatched, and Eabbi Kantrowitz 
entered the patient’s room. 

We will not dwell upon the intense and sincere 
grief of the good Rabbi or of her devoted maid 
Marriane, when they beheld the sacrifice which 
this noble daughter of Israel had offered up to 
save the Czar. What sublime mercy she had 
shown to him, who had always been so merciless 
to her race ! Would the Czar now repent of his 
past cruelty, and become more Christian-like in 
his charity, and human compassion? Perhaps! 
who knows 1 

Gelta in her will had directed first that a thou- 
sand pounds should be given to Schlomer Gold- 
stein, to enable him leisurely to pursue his 
studies ; second, that she should be buried in 
Paris, near her beloved parents in the Pere La 
Chaise, her maid Marriane was to receive one 
thousand pounds and after having accompanied 


228 


gelta: or, 


her remains to France, was to join her own 
relatives there, and when all expenses had been 
paid, the residue should go to Kabbi Kantrowitz, 
that is, a thousand pounds to him personally, 
and the remainder as a fund over which he should 
have the full and sole control to assist those in 
distress. 

After these preliminaries had been attended to, 
and Kabbi Kantrowitz had joined the physicians 
in the next room, so as to leave them both alone, 
Gelta held out her right hand, which strange to 
say, had escaped injury, to Demetrius, and making 
a desperate effort to raise her head a little by a 
movement which gave her intense pain, in a low 
and broken voice, she slowly murmured, 

“Demetrius darling, to you I leave nothing, 
nothing, save my poor weary heart ! ” and she 
continued in accents broken with deep emotion, 
“ It has been yours ever since the first time I met 
you, that day in the British Museum, for it was 
in the treasure room,” she continued with a sad 
smile, “that I first beheld you.” 

He threw his head on the pillow near hers and 
cried! cried as people only cry when for the first 
time they face agonizing despair. 

Gelta, at sight of his grief, felt her poor faint 
heart weep also, but her eyes were dry, she knew 
what he meant, and a deep pity for him invaded 
her soul. If she had felt quite sure that he 
could live the life for which she wanted to edu- 
cate him, worthily and well without her, she 


i'Hil dZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 229 

Ivouid petliaps, not have felt so sorry to pass 
away^ but submitted humbly to her fate. But 
now she trembled for him. 

“Demetrius,” she whispered, while lovingly 
caressing his head, which was buried in the pil- 
low, “Demetrius darling, I feel we both shall 
soon meet again, for the longest earthly stay, is 
but a few brief moments of Time’s travel, 
snatched while journeying upward to that happy 
realm of lasting peace.” 

Gelta’s previous robust health enabled her to 
linger longer, than could have naturally been 
expected. 

It was twenty-four hours after the ball. 
Rabbi Kantrowitz seated near her bed, had just 
finished reading the Tchillim, or praj^ers for the 
soul, interrupted now and again hj the suppressed 
sobs which broke from Demetrius’ heart. 

Gelta beckoned to the eldest of the two 
doctors, who were standing in the adjoining room, 
abstractedly gazing into the open fire grate. In 
an instant the old physician was at her side, after 
a moment’s pause,, she said in a clear voice, 
“Professor, I want you to take a message from 
the dying, to the Czar ! ” 

The doctor bowed his willingness and Gelta in 
clear low tones continued, 

“ Tell the Czar, that in order to save his life, I, 
a Jewess, have willingly forfeited mine own 
instead, and if he thinks that my conduct toward 
him is deserving of any reward, tell him to with- 


230 


gelta: or, 


draw his hates and persecutions from the grossly 
misunderstood, but patient children of Israel.” 

‘‘ Tour message shall be carefully delivered to 
liis Majesty the Czar,” replied the professor 
slowly and much moved, and after a moment^s 
silence he asked, 

“ Is that all mademoiselle ? ” 

“ That is all of the message which I wish you 
to convey to his Majesty” and then she resumed 
with a faltering voice, of suppressed deep 
emotion, “ Professor, I have still another favor to 
ask of you.” 

“Speak my child,” he answered with much 
kindness. 

After a brief silence, she slowly resumed, ‘‘When 
I am no more, I want you to take m3" heart from 
my body and have it cremated,” she murmured 
amid suppressed sobs, “and then give it to the 
Grand Duke Demetrius. The rest of my body is 
to be shipped to Paris instructions will be found 
to that effect in my will,” and then after a mo- 
ment’s silence, she sadly asked — “you will do 
this?” 

“Your wish shall be my solemn duty,” he 
quietly replied. 

“ God bless you Doctor ! ” she said, as she sud- 
denly grasped his hand and carried it to her lips 
with fervent gratitude, “ God bless you,” she re- 
peated and sank back in exljaustion. 

A couple of hours later when Gelta opened her 
eyes she saw Demetrius sitting at the head of her 


THE C^kVi AND THE CANTATKICE. 


231 


coucli, silently weeping. The physicians and 
Rabbi Kantrowitz were in the adjoining room. 

‘‘Don’t cry, dearest,” she said in a sad, cares- 
sing voice. He covered his face with his hands, 
in a violent gesture of despair. 

“ I think,” she went on, with a great effort to 
appear calm, “ I think we ought to prepare for 
the mercy and kindness which we expect from 
the Almighty towards us, by the kindness and 
mercy we have shown to those less fortunately 
situated than ourselves, and I want to feel, that 
amid the hollow din and tinselled vanity of the 
life which surrounds you, you will always be 
good and merciful to all ; so then when you leave 
earth your passport of lifo may bear a clean, and 
honorable record, to lay at the feet of your 
Maker.” 

He got up and walked to the curtained window 
to wipe his tear-blinded eyes. 

Gelta lingered for some hours longer, silently 
watching Demetrius. She found it so hard to 
speak of their parting now that it was at hand — 
only just before the end ; about thirty hours after 
the ball, she called him to her side to take leave 
of him. 

“Don’t forget your promise, Demetrius,” she 
said, almost under her breath, “ try to serve the 
children of Israel with merciful Christianity,” 
and then she continued with a sad smile and 
faltering voice, “when my heart is — is — cremated, 
enshrine it in a small golden heart, which you 


232 


gelta: or, 


will wear on your watcli cliain^ next to your 
charm of the little golden cross with Christus upon 
it, so that you may always be reminded, that true 
Christianihj is merehj transposed Judaism / 

Don’t despair,” she moaned in response to his 
choking sobs, ‘‘ return to your home and people, 
it is God’s will 1 ” the last words were almost 
inaudible — it was a mere movement of the lips. 

She lay quite calm till the end came on, with 
half closed eyes. Her strength was ebbing away 
too quickly to allow her to speak, only her hand 
sought Demetrius, and her slender white fingers 
softly pressed his to her heart, as she murmured : 

‘‘It has always been yours, you will soon pos- 
sess it.” 

A few moments before she died, she opened 
her eyes, and in an audible sigh whispered, 

“Be kind to Israel’s children.” 

Her eyes closed, a tremor issued from her lips, 
and her soul had escaped from the ills and temp- 
tations of the fiesh. 

Life and time sliall fade away 

While Heaven and Virtue bloom for ever. 


FINIS. 


raE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


233 


ENVOY. 


A young Jewess sacrificed her life to save the 
Czar from assassination, the Czar, who during 
the thirteen years of his reign had spent untold 
millions to hedge himself about with guards, 
police, spies, and every known form of protection 
in the endeavor to thwart the nihilists, who 
were unceasing in their efforts to kill him, and he 
notwithstanding the fact that his life had been 
saved by a Jewess, continued throughout the 
Avhole of his reign to persecute the Jews with 
inhuman ferocity. At the last, this same Czar 
when the skill of the ablest surgeons and phy- 
sicians of the world had failed, even to alleviate 
the dreadful malady from which he suffered, was 
obliged to invoke the aid of a Jewish Professor 
of Medicine, by whose skill and devotion his life 
was prolonged for many weeks and his dying 
moments made calm and peaceful, and almost 
painless. Such is the mission of the Jews. 

The genius of the Semetic race cannot be 
adulterated. Thus has it ever been, thus will it 
ever be, the hated, persecuted Jew, forever 
returning good for evil. 

In history in the future, as in the past, the 


2 "4 GELTA : OR, THE CZAR AND THE CANTATRICE. 


genius of tlie Semetic race flows pure and un- 
adulterated. It is their mission, the mission of 
the chosen people of God. They have still to 
protest against the materialism just now so rife, 
but they are to serve as the bond of union 
between hostile people in advancing the glorious 
cause of humanity. 



NflDflGE DOREE 


The brilliant young emotional 
actress will tour in a 


Parisian Comedy, 


which was Successfully Played 


Over Three Hundred Consecu- 


tive Nights in Paris (France). 
MISS DOREE’S TOUR will be 


under the direction of a well 


known Manager. 




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